Grounded Narratives

Hello loves. I hope it's not too late to say happy new month. It feels like eternity since I was last here. So much has been happening that I hardly know where to begin, haha! Over the last month, I have had to dedicate a lot of time to two things that are very important to me:  I have been working on personal growth, mostly on positivity as has been clear on my social media channels (Facebook and Instagram). You know those times when you feel like you need to refocus on things, recharge your batteries and re-evaluate your life? That has been me over the last month or so.   I have finally managed to take a much needed step in the running of my shop, Botique i2s. As you are well aware, when I started my shop, I ran it online. But with time I realized that I needed a central place where I could meet those clients to whom I couldn't make deliveries. I spent a good chunk of time looking for a space that would be both convenient and comfortable for my clients a...

While this month seems to have crawled by, I still can't believe that March is right around the corner. I usually divide my year into sections depending on what I am looking forward to. In the past, Easter and my sister's birthday as well as the man and my anniversary have always pushed me through the first two months of the year. This time is quite different. Next month my baby, Elly, celebrates her first birthday and to say that I am very excited is an understatement. I have planned and planned all the little things that I wish to do that month not only to mark Elly's birthday but also as a way to say thank you to all those who have supported us throughout this year. I will be sharing more of this as the days approach. And speaking of plans, I had mentioned earlier this month that I have been working on a project that I can't wait to unveil. To put all speculation at bay, I will be showcasing one of the most exciting projects I have undertaken yet, later ...

I am so happy to have actually managed to fulfill one of my New Year's resolutions, which was to post everyday here on the blog. I have not managed to do a full month of blogging in more than a year so I'm happy to see that it is possible. Without further ado, here is a round up of the posts that appeared on the blog this month. If you missed out on anything, be sure to click on the link provided (links appear in purple and regular text in dark grey) to read the full post. Celebrity Style 1. Favourites at the People's Choice Awards . 2. Favourites at the Golden Globes . 3. Celebrity street style . 4. Favourites at the SAG Awards . Momma's Closet A few of my outfit choices. 1. Holiday Recap : what I wore to a wedding, for Christmas and to celebrate the New Year. 2. DIY high-waisted pencil skirt and crop-top . 3. Maxi skirt and summer jacket . 4. Ankara skirt and tucked in crop top . Plus-Size Fashion 1. Great ideas for dresses to wear...

When I was in college, I never needed an excuse to shop. I would leave class and decide, "Why not go and see what new and interesting clothes (and shoes, my biggest weakness), I can buy today?" The situation got so out of hand that my friends started saying I was a shopaholic and that I needed to go to Shoes Anonymous. I remember when it came time to move back home, when I started considering how I would transport my things, that I began to panic. With airline weight restrictions, I knew that I would have two choices: (1) To shell out a large amount of my savings just to pay for overweight luggage or (2) To pay for shipping costs. I didn't like any of these options. Even though I wanted to transport three and a half years of my life across the ocean, I knew it wouldn't be possible. So I decided to empty my closet. This was my first ever major closet edit. While separating what I wanted from what I could leave behind, I realized I had accumulated so many c...

Have you begun counting down the hours to 2015? I have. And before ushering in the New Year, I have been looking back on 2014 and I could not be happier with the way this year has treated me. 2014 has tested me and blessed me in equal measures (see the lessons I learnt in 2014 here), but I am happy with how the year has been. Bearing that in mind, I would like share with you what stood out for me on the blog in 2014 as well as appreciating some very special people who have been through this journey with me. 2014 Highlights March: Welcoming my baby girl. Elly is now nine and a half months old and getting more and more fabulous with each passing day August: I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Wanjiru.Thank you my dear! September: Celebrated my birthday with a new website on my own URL something I had been hoping to accomplish from my earliest blogging days. Along with this came the growth of my online shop and personal shopper services which I will be resuming in January...

2014 has been a year chalk-full of lessons for me. Becoming a mum has helped me find myself in ways that I never thought were possible. I have managed to push myself to new heights and I now believe that with the right amount of determination, anything is possible. Below are 14 lessons that I have learnt this year. 1.    Forgiveness This is a hard one especially when it pertains to forgiving and forgetting. The best lesson I have learnt is that once we forgive, you have more peace. 2.    Patience This is the biggest lesson I have learnt from being a mum. Everything happens in due time as evidenced by watching my baby grow into a more independent young lady every day. 3.    Abandonment to God's will God works wonders in our lives each day, and at His pace and not at ours. By completely abandoning my life to Him, I am agreeing to let him work in me. I am also able to see all the marvelous things that he does for me. 4.   ...

The end of August is nearing and I can't believe how fast time has flown. Life lately has been extremely busy. Yesterday (when this post should have gone up) was a crazy day hence the delay in putting this up. It was baby's clinic day and I wasn't feeling too well myself. I think exhaustion was kicking in. So I decided to take the day off and relax-did some reading and a lot of sleeping. I'm feeling a little better today so I'm back in business. Miss Elly Elly is now 5 months old. Can you believe it? 5 months! I can't! Where is the time running to? Yesterday while at the hospital, the nurse was educating me on how to start weaning her when she turns 6 months next month! I am in awe. She's grown so much. I have been looking at photos of her from the time she was born up until now and cannot believe how far she has come. She's extremely talkative now (baby talk) and has just discovered that her hands can move around. She now grabs at things and has ...

Hello lovelies! Today is the last day of July, can you believe it?  I have been down with the flu but I'm feeling much better today so I just had to squeeze in one last post before the month ends. Life lately has taken an interesting turn. I have taken up quite a number of roles this month among them being PR for my brother's company. It's part-time so I have time to do other things as well. I find that I like to dapple in many different things since I easily get bored especially when I have to do the same thing over and over again. I think this is why going freelance really sits well with me. Apart from the fact that no two days are the same, I have more time with Elly and I get to organize myself and my work the way it suits me, something I found that helps me become better at organizing myself. Life and Motherhood Elly is four months old now. She's growing up so fast. She sits and has started trying to get up on her own. She has become quite friendly and s...

Hello lovelies! Life lately has been full of activity, so much so that this week I haven't managed to blog much. I have been busy handling business, taking care of Elly as well as being there for my family and friends. On Life and Motherhood Elly is now quite settled. Over the last four days we have been moving up and down quite a lot. She loves visiting new places and I try as much as I can to tell her about these places. I started reading to her as she's getting ready to sleep either in the morning or at night. I know that she can't understand what I'm saying to her but I read that by reading to her, she becomes accustomed to different words and sounds and this will help her develop her speech. On the blog Audrey's style: 1 , 2 . 3 . 4 This month, I have posted a bit more than I did last month. Last week I even managed to post every single day, sometimes with Elly sitting on my lap! Among the posts that will be making a regular appearance on the ...

Hello lovelies! May has been a month of reckoning for me. I have come to terms with many things and made several life-changing decisions. But I am excited to embark on new and exciting things come next month. On Life I am 11 weeks into this thing called motherhood and I still can't believe I have Elly in my life. We've spent so much time together that every time I think of having to leave her at the end of my maternity leave, I get stressed out. I have left her twice when I had to run some errands. At first I found it very difficult to even concentrate on the task at hand but as Elly gets older and more settled, I am learning to let go.  On the Blog  As much as I had good intentions of blogging more often, there are days when Elly's needs keep me away from my laptop so I end up unable to post on the blog. But I am now trying to schedule my blog posts in advance so that the events of each day do not hinder me from doing what I love. As of next month, I hav...

Hello lovelies! It seems like just the other day I was writing the January edition of Mid-Week Reflections. I like to use this post to talk about key things that have taken place in my life and here on the blog, all in an effort to make this blog as personal as possible. On Life The short month of February has practically flown by. A good part of it has been spent carrying out various preparations for the baby's arrival both psychologically and materially. Getting baby things is so much fun and I can't help but marvel at how small we are when we begin our lives. The psychological preparation has been a bit daunting. One might argue that I have had nine months to be mentally prepared but I'm not sure there is any amount of time that would prepare one for such a momentous occasion in one's life. But with the help of God, family and friends, I am certain that the fear of the unknown will be conquered. On The Blog This month, I have tried my best to put u...

Hello lovelies! I'm sure for many of you January is one of the longest months in the year. As a student, I never realized what the adults at that time spoke about when they referred to January as being a tough month. After the festive season, most people just want this month to get by as fast as possible. When I started working, I finally understood what they meant by it. January can indeed be a tough month. I have a list of resolutions, set for the first six months of this year. With the coming of the baby in the first quarter of the year, there are some things I need to work on before and immediately after the baby comes. One among them is to continue with my exercise regime. I had slackened off a bit towards the end of last year, but this January I have picked it up again. Even with being 35 weeks pregnant and my movements are limited, I walk quite a bit but then have to make sure I rest enough and that I drink a lot of water to remain hydrated. I feel good and refres...