January 2017 in Retrospect | Lessons, Resolutions & New Happenings

January has come to an end! There's no way to express my surprise at how fast this month has flown by. As I am writing this post, I have this newfound enthusiasm to reach for the stars and go for my dreams. I can't quite explain where this feeling has come from but I am just glad and eager to continue putting my best foot forward and work, work, work!

Lessons
I wanted to do a whole post on finding that thing that makes you tick and pursuing it relentlessly but I got overtaken by events. However, I believe that this has been my most valuable lesson of January 2017. The fact that when you do find that one thing that motivates you to get out of bed in the morning or forces you out on a day when you would rather spend the day lying in and catching up on your favourite series, it will propel you to heights you only ever dreamed of.

Resolutions
I started 2017 with one main resolution, to work hard and I am happy to note that as regards my shop, I have been doing just that. I haven't had such a busy month in a very long time.
But I have yet to get the same result for my blog. I know that with a little planning ahead I can manage to put up regular articles, here on the blog and also on my YouTube channel.

New Happenings
I have made a few changes as regards my business and blog.
My shop is now Toria Fashions on Instagram and Facebook. I decided to rebrand. Now I do mainly personal shopping, maternity wear and plus size fashion. I am hoping to expand quite a bit in the future.
I have also decided to seperate my Instagram accounts for the sake of cohesiveness. My original account (@inches2style) will continue to feature fashion related topics and motivational posts. Basically topics that are the main focus of my blog. My new Instagram account (audrey_masitsa) will be strictly for personal posts.

How has the first month of 2017 been for you? Have you started working on you new year's resolutions? Do share in the comments below.

Thank you for stopping by. xo

A labour of love: Long days, bee stings and a global premiere

“Amkeni” roughly translates to “Rise Up” in Kiswahili. This is the call of Chambuko Amkeni, a community-led conservation group involved in mangrove restoration and protection. In 2025, I had the honour of working with them to document their journey on women’s leadership in coastal and marine conservation, climate change adaptation and the blue economy, for a collaboration between Mission inclusion and the BBC StoryWorks' for the Living Legacy Series . This was my first time working on a project of this magnitude not to mention one that would have a global audience. To say this has been one of the highlights of the last two years is an understatement. Just thinking about it, my heart swells with pride. I feel like a mother watching her baby grow and come of age (please don't tell my daughter this!). With members of the Chambuko Amkeni Group Leading the production of Amkeni with my amazing colleagues was a true labour of love. A vision come to life thanks to the support o...

Rediscovering myself

A few blog posts ago I alluded to struggles I'd been facing for a few years now. I said that I would address these issues here soon but honestly, I didn't know when would be a good time. So I thought that today is as good a day as any. Last year I was diagnosed with trauma. It had been years in the making, a result of an emotionally abusive relationship and years of challenging events with seemingly no respite in sight. Although I had eventually gotten out of the relationship, I had unconsciously allowed this person's opinions of me become so ingrained in me that I had lost all knowledge of my former self. I lacked self-confidence. I blamed myself for many things that had happened in my life. I was perpetually sad and struggled to find even the smallest things to smile about. I had no motivation to do even those things that I loved. I would take photos and see my smiling face but deep down I knew that was just a front. I was broken, a shell of my former self. Now I'm no...

Blogging Challenge Day 13 | 5 Ways I Learned To Be Happy (No Matter The Circumstances)

Like everybody else, I began this year on a very positive note. I hoped for a better year than I had had in 2017. I had a plan that I laid out and I was determined to accomplish a lot of what was on my 2018 list. I once heard someone say that sometimes you plan and it doesn't work out not because you haven't put in enough effort but because God has other plans for you. So the first three months of 2018 were completely upside down for me. Everything seemed to be going wrong. I won't lie to you and tell you that I carried on happy in spite of everything that wasn't working. I struggled to smile, to wake up in the morning, to face my day, to be around people. However, I was determined to find lasting happiness. I wanted to find a way that would ensure that I remained happy even when life seemed to be going against me. I did my research and tried out a few things and found the 5 ways listed below that I have now been putting into practice for the last four or so month...

Grounded Narratives

Search This Blog