Letter to My 4 Years Old Sweet Eliana

My sweet Eliana

I cannot believe you are 4 years old. As I looked through your pictures and videos from past years, I can see that you have truly grown a lot in every way possible and probably beyond your years.

My sweet baby girl, yes, you will always be my ‘baby’ girl. These letters are getting harder and harder to write. Not because I do not know what to say but because I am addressing them to a more matured, bigger and independent little girl as each year passes.

So, time is of the essence to nurture, raise and guide you in the right path and teach you to truly live a well fulfilled life pleasing to God and that which will allow you to reach your full potential and fulfill your purpose.

This past year, like I mentioned earlier, I feel like you have grown a tremendous amount. Speaking academically to your independence in doing things yourself, to the kinds of conversations we have, and I will not be doing you justice if I don’t mention your little sassy personality.

I have watched you become self-sufficient in the big and little things such as; dressing yourself, saying prayers, cleaning up after yourself, taking care of your brother, helping mommy in the kitchen, and just all around new level of independence. Even though it’s hard to say it, needing less of my time and doing it on your own is just another reminder of how fast you're growing.

With that said, you still very much enjoy mommy and me time and you do not want it to end when we have it. Whether it’s reading a book together, doing activities in your learning center, coloring or just any moment where it is just the two of us. If you had your way you would go on every grocery/shopping trip with me. But, the way I’m set up right now, I like to be in and out. So maybe when you get older, that may become a thing for us.

You are very fond and protective of your brother and you have adjusted quite well to having someone to share things with as he grows older.

You remain a picky eater and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. I am less worried about this aspect of you as I was before. Reasons being, you seem to be growing like you’re supposed to and the doctors have no worries. Secondly, now that I think about it, you got this trait from me. Not sure if I was this bad, but I was a picky eater as well, even up until college, wouldn’t try certain things just based on how they looked. It took me that long to shed that part of me and explore more delicious food, I hope it doesn’t take you that long as you are missing out on a lot of good food. So, I am not so hard on you or myself when you refuse to try new food. With time, it will come to you.

This is my prayer for you.

That you learn not only to be self sufficient but to be reliant on God for guidance and protection. To know that you can call upon Him anytime and He'll always be there. To learn to have a heart that leans not on the way of the world but onto the word of God.

My sweet baby girl,  everyday with you has been a joy and as my first child you have opened my eyes to a new perspectives, giving life a new meaning.

I love you baby girl, today and everyday!

Pink Statement Sleeve Coat

Hi Loves! 

So, my days as a free woman is officially over as I start my new job on Monday. While I am excited and ready for the challenge, a part of me is a bit nervous at the same time. 

I have learned to embrace change and I am more welcoming of it now more than ever before, but, I guess it is human nature for change to be a bit scary, at least in the beginning.

So this weekend, I am soaking it all in and snuggling and spending time with my babies (hubby included) as my crazy life juggling it all is about to commence.

Not sure if you guys remember but when I saw this coat, I was torn and couldn't decide so I asked for your help on Instagram to make my decision of which majority of the voters voted yes.  

Like I've said before, I like simple, clean pieces with details that makes it stands out and for this coat, it was obviously the sleeves. The pink color is just an added bonus. 

I got a good wear out of it before leaving North Carolina and it serves well as it is thick and heavy.

Decided to style it causally for this look with good ole jeans, a shimmering cami and a pair of knee high boots. The pouch clutch  here which is now on sale for for just $12 completed the look. My intent when buying the pouch clutch was to use it in my transparent bags as seen here (look closely) as a fun inner pouch but it lends itself well to being carried alone as well.

I hope you enjoy your weekend.

Pouch Clutch: Asos (currently on sale & extra 10% off)

Top: H&M (old, similar here & here)

Coats: Asos (sold out, try this here & here)

Jeans: H&M (old, try this here & here)

Boots: old, (try this here & here)

Maxi Dress with Shorts

My yellow gingham skirt with shorts (see here or on my Instagram page) which I surprisingly bought while pregnant and only recently wore had me inspired  to add more of that style to my closet. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a lot of options for the skirt and short combination but, what I did find was a lot of the floral maxi dress with short combo. So,  I thought I'll share some of my favorites with you.

Enjoy!

Currently Reading :: Children of Blood And Bone

Ok guys, after what seems like ages since picking up book and reading, I found my way back to that part of me and the book I choose to do that with did not disappoint. I am that type of person that when I find a good book and really get into it, it is really hard for me to put it down. I don't like the feeling of being left hanging or wondering what happens next, so I keep going, turning pages and burning the midnight oil till I get to the end.

Same thing with movies, once I get into a good movie, it is hard for me to breakaway or even walk away no matter what I'm doing, I must sit and watch till it ends. For this reason, I do not like to watch movies randomly. I make sure I have the time for it before starting one, otherwise, there goes two hours or more of my time or sleep; lost on watching an unplanned movie.

This is a problem in my house because hubby is the opposite. He can put on a movie and go to sleep or just do other stuff or even walk away. I like to keep the TV if on 30 minutes shows, preferably re-runs, so I can walk away in easily anytime and not in two hours. But, hubby will rather have a movie playing instead and he doesn't even pay any mind to it. So, if I catch the first few minutes and it ends up being a good one, I am the one stuck and glued to the couch while he just simply walks away and goes about his day. Although, if it is really not a good time and I know I definitely cannot afford to be stuck waiting a movie I didn't ask for or not in the mood, I just let him know not to think about putting it on if he is not planning on watching it.

Anyways, I digress from the reason for this post. The book I broke my reading break with was Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.

I am not one to get into sorcery and magic and those type of books and I guess you can say this is the Nigerian part of me. Goes a little to how I was raised and believes, especially in a christian home. Let's just say associate to those kinds of things, movies and books included were frowned upon. Aside for that, I personally to find myself gravitating towards it either. To paint the picture clearly, I am not into the likes of Harry Potter and Lords of the Rings. Yet, something about this book intrigued me enough to buy it. Maybe it is the fact that the author is Nigerian like me or that fact that I was curious enough to see how she transforms the gods and their stories into today's world. If you grow up watching those old Yoruba movies in Nigeria, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Long story short, I bought the book and I read and finished it in just under a week. I would have finished sooner but mommy life had to take precedence at times, so I closed it and laid it down more often than I would have liked.

The book was everything and more. It gets better as you turn the pages especially as you hit the middle till the end; It becomes harder to put it down. And then, you get to the end and you have that feeling of I can't wait till the next one is out.

I guess you can say I will be a true committed fan to this series and won't miss a beat on both the books and movies. I can only imagine, if done right, how beautiful the movie will be. The details in the description of each character, their emotions, their skin colors, their clothes. I can imagine it all reading the book, so I hope the movie does it justice and delivers.

And the best part I want to say was getting to the end of the book and reading the author’s note and finding out the reason and motivation for the book and the characters; that was the moment it all came together and hit home for me.

So, if you're looking for a new book to add to your list or you haven't read one in a minute, this is definitely a good one to start with.

Get the book here or click on the image at the top.

Now, I'm on the hunt for the next read. Suggestions welcomed.

Red & Black :: And The Move

It is April and it 's still snowing in some part of the country, so this outfit and scenery is more than appropriate for right now, right? And as you can imagine I am behind on posting. I have lots to share and bit and pieces drafted but finding time to make a complete post in the middle of life right now seems impossible. However, I am pushing myself and making it happen. The longer I push it off, the harder it will be to come back.

This red and black look is first up. There are some color combinations that you know will never fail and red and black is one of them. I've been on the hunt for more colored longline blazers as most of my current ones are all short. I spotted this red one with the gold button details and I was sold. Making it all about the blazer and the red color, i opted for an all black look and to add a little more drama, finished it off with my suede thigh high boots. 

I love blazers like this because they are easy to throw on just about any type of outfit and go. So, looking forward to much wear out of this one.

So, here we are, almost two months after my last post and there’s a whole lot to catch up on.

As some of you might already know if you follow me on Instagram that after almost 3 years in North Carolina we said our goodbye last month and relocated to Florida. That was the transition period I was referring to in my last post. It is not an easy feat moving, not to talk of moving across state lines with 2 kids. The transition and move was a long process. I know we've done this before but doing it with 2 kids is a totally different experience. Hubby went first and I stayed behind with the kids to hold things down while still working full time. It was as if time slowed day, again read my post here to get a feel for what I’m talking about.

Thankfully, the long-awaited move day came and when we all became reunited under one roof, it was all worth it! 

Saying goodbye to the life we had in North Carolina and the few people we knew wasn't easy, especially for the kids, mostly Eliana. There wasn't a dry eye on their last day of school as they said goodbye to their teachers and friends. It is nice to know that they were loved and will be missed.

The move went smoothly, thank God! Majority of that can be attributed to the fact that I didn’t have to lift a finger. The movers did all the work (God bless those men; the level of details in their packing and labeling is amazing). I only had to worry about disposing the stuff / junk I didn’t want to take with me. Moving time is one of the best times to declutter your life. I was able to get rid of a full truck load of stuff that had just accumulated over the years and we never used or were broken. We also had a lot of baby toys and gadgets and majority of that I gave away to friends and the rest went to a consignment store.

I can’t say the decluttering was my initiative. It was mostly driven by the living condition I knew we were going into in Florida. Fitting everything into an apartment temporarily will be close to impossible so it had to be done.  

 We've been in Florida almost a month now and it has been great so far. I am loving the weather down here, for now. I hear summer time may not be so loveable. The kids are enjoying their new surroundings and endless pool and beach request and of course happy to see daddy. I tell you while daddy was away in Florida by himself I couldn't hear enough of them saying and requesting for daddy. Every time my phone rang, it's always "daddy".

There is a great balance of family friendly living and night life within a short distance, at least for where we are. I am the kind of person that doesn’t like to drive more than 10 to 15 minutes to get to everything I need like groceries, doctors, post office, etc and that is not going to be a problem here.

For now, we’re settled in as much as we can, knowing soon enough, we’ll be packing up everything we just unpacked (we didn’t unpack everything, just what’s needed and the essentials for daily living) and making hopefully the last move for a long time into something more permanent here in Florida.

 I’ve got a week to myself once the kids start school to recharge before starting my new job (a testimony of its own).

Till next time.

Top: H&M (old, try this here & here)

Blazer: Asos (Sold out, similar here , here & here)

Jeans: F21 (old, similar here & here)

Bag: Asos (sold out, similar here , here, here & here)

Boots: Asos ( similar here & here)