Grounded Narratives

*I wrote this post before life changed but my sentiments still hold true. I was so excited w hen I got into the online business . It was a whole new world for me. I saw endless possibilities. I even longed to work in the digital space full-time, either for myself or for an already established brand. I had big dreams. But a few years ago, I started second-guessing myself, my posts, the relevance of my blog. I was going through a difficult time, struggling with my mental health and events that were going on in my life. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't get myself to dedicate as much attention as I wanted to my blog. I started posting less and less.  I had changed and I needed to find myself again so that I could find the right content to share. Another reason I struggled with this space was because of fear. I was afraid that sharing my struggles would come back to bite me, that my words would be used against me. But I also knew that there are many people who might be going ...

  Hi guys! It's been a minute. I have to confess that I've been struggling with my wardrobe for a while. However, this week I seem to be getting back to myself. I'm enjoying playing around with my clothes, putting outfits together and even accessorising which I haven't been a fan of for ages . These mustard trousers are an old favourite. I have styled them on the blog before. You can read those posts here and here . I love the pop of colour and the fact that they are high-waisted means I can almost camouflage my mummy tummy. I love how it pairs with blue and the black coat was just to jazz it up a little more and keep me warm. Oh, there have been a few changes to the blog. I've changed the header and URL. I'm still tweaking it here and there to make it just right. Change is good, no? I think it helps to give you a new perspective especially when you find yourself getting into a rut. Thank you for stopping by. Follow me on:  Facebook ,  Instagra...

 Last year, I had the privilege of interviewing Reverend Nyambura of the WCC. I always feel so motivated being in the presence of women who have broken the ceiling set by society and unrelentingly pursued their truths. Reverend Nyambura is one such woman.  Among the many things we spoke about was a movement that has been followed around the world to demonstrate against gender-based violence referred to as Thursdays in Black. The movement gave a voice to rape and violence faced by men and women, boys and girls during wars and seasons of unrest, and now encompasses violence in the home and workplace.  You can read more about the movement here.   I have been a victim of abuse and I know several people who have been too. So when I found out about this, I decided to join the movement by consciously putting on black every Thursday as a silent protest against this violence. Outfit Details: Dress - Thrifted [Gikomba]; Handbag - Gift; Sandals - Thrifted [Bus Station];...

 30. I had been looking forward to this birthday for months and just as the day drew nearer, I got a bit anxious. I thought, I'm turning 30, is my life all figured out? What about all those mistakes I made in my 20s, how will they influence my 30s? What will this new decade have in store for me? In spite of the uncertainty that comes with starting something new, I was certain of one thing. I had grown up. I have become more confident. I know what I like and what I don't like, and, I'm not afraid of saying it.  It feels great to see how much progress I have made over the last 10 years. When I turned 20 I was so uncertain of so many things. But now, even when I might not be so sure about what the future holds, I know that I'll be okay. I will get through it. Dress: Thrifted; Necklace: Dubois; Boots: Thrifted Thank you for stopping by.

Hello loves. How's your April coming along? It's been a minute since I was last here. Life happened and inasmuch as I love my blog and I enjoy putting up content here, I had a difficult time actually doing that. But here I am and I hope the creative slump won't overtake me again. On to my outfit. I wore this mermaid style ankara dress for Easter and I felt like royalty. I fell in love with ankara some years back but I am still picky about what I wear. This dress was a gift and I absolutely loved the colour. The mermaid style is a little different for me but I thought it would be a good way to add a bit of variation to my closet. I styled it with some blog heel sandals, gold earrings and a matte lippie. To get me back in the blogging mood, I have decided to embark upon a blogging challenge. I will start on Monday and the challenge will last the next 30 days. This challenge will also help me put out different types of posts from the ones I usually put out. I hope you wil...

Happy new week guys! I hope you have been well. It's been over a month since I posted here. My sincerest apologies for the non-scheduled hiatus. June was somewhat of a life-changing month for me, in a good way. As you all know, I have been wearing glasses ever since I can remember. When I wrote my memoirs of a bespectacled girl part one and two, you can read them here and here , and shared with you how excited I was to get new, trendier frames ( read full post here ), I didn't imagine that a few years down the line my life would change drastically. You see, last month, I had eye surgery and now I can function without my glasses and only need to wear glasses to read! I feel like a new me, like my whole life has changed and I get to live a new life. I can't adequately express to you the joy I feel when I wake up in the morning and I don't have to reach for my glasses just so that I can look at my daughter lying in bed fast asleep or check my phone for messages....

2013: Afro I have been natural for about 4 years now. My decision to go natural was mostly because I wanted to reduce the amount of money I spent doing my hair. The other reason for my decision was to get my hair healthy again since putting chemicals on it had made my hair dull and limp. I don't regret going natural. If I could go back in time I would do it all over again. However, there are a few things that I think would have made me approach my going natural differently. 2017: High puff Below are 3 things that I wish I knew before I went natural. 1. It's important to know your hair texture. I have a friend who has hair that curls naturally while mine just doesn't. No matter what I do to my hair, it never looks like hers. So I have had to learn how to style my different textured hair so that it looks good and intentional. Otherwise it mostly looks like a hot mess. 2. Shrinkage My hair shrinks A LOT! I hadn't noticed this too much before but now tha...

For most of my teen years, I had troublesome skin. I tried a lot of products and treatments, chemical and natural, that promised me smooth, clear, acne-free skin. But this didn't do much to help the situation. (I talked about this and the products I ended up using in more details in this post ). After a number of years of continuous struggle, my face cleared up all by itself. For a long time I enjoyed having glowing acne-free skin with very little effort and expense. Come this time last year all that started to change. It started with a huge breakout on my forehead which refused to respond to any of the treatments I tried. Then it started spreading to the rest of my face eventually reaching my neck. To say that I was horrified is an understatement. As my face went from bad to worse, my confidence fell in equal proportions. That's when I delved into the makeup world full force. I watched YouTube videos and learned how to apply makeup. I researched and experimented as I l...

I'm sitting here chewing on a piece of toast, looking at these photos and reminiscing on days gone by. I feel like it's been so long since (i) I blogged and (ii) it was bright and sunny before 7a.m.  Even as I'm nostalgic for the past, I am excited for the changing weather and for each new day because it signifies a new opportunity to try again, to put in a refreshed effort in achieving my goals. I feel like I have a new strength to step out of my comfort zone and set out on a new adventure, one that will take me to new heights. I feel the need to have the courage to step out and be different, to do what I love even though it doesn't meet the approval of others. I know what I want and I will not let fear keep me from pursuing it. Outfit Details Dress: Thrifted (Gikomba Market) Shoes: Bus Station, Nairobi Earrings: Dubois Street, Nairobi Clutch: Old

Happy Women's Day!! I am so excited to be able to celebrate the wonderful women in my life, those who I know on a personal basis and those who I admire and strive to emulate from afar. Today I want to remember all those women who work hard for what they believe in, those who have prevailed amidst stigma, those who struggle alone without any support, those who sacrifice their whole selves just so that they can help their loved ones achieve their dreams and live a comfortable life. I want to remember all those women who have set the pace for the rest of us, who have endured discrimination, who haven't let any life challenges discourage them from a bright future. I want to encourage every little girl and remind her that her tears and her struggle are not in vain. There are good things ahead, you just need to be strong and keep looking forward. Outfit Details: Skirt and Top: Thrifted Shoes: Gift Earrings: Dubois Street, Nairobi Choker: DIY Ring: Borrowed fro...

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 tha...

 I am a staunch believer in the sneakers can be worn with anything school of thought ☺ Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against heels but the comfort you get from a pair of sneakers cannot be compared to anything. For today's challenge, I put together this outfit starting with the sneakers. I absolutely love these pink shoes. Not only are they super comfy but they add a much needed punch of colour to any and all outfits. To allow the sneakers to stand out, I wore them with a black midi skirt and fitted top. The skirt has some fullness which I thought would contrast well with the fitted top. For accessories I opted for gold earrings and necklace. As this challenge called for a swap, I felt the outfit needed to be one that I would ordinarily wear with heels or nice flats and the sneakers would be an unexpected twist. What do you think of this outfit? Would you swap your heels for sneakers?   Outfit Details: Skirt: Thrifted (Gikomba) Top and Sneakers: ...

This is the ultimate lazy day outfit for me: skinnies and a sweater. It's simple, comfortable and doesn't require too much thought. When it comes to sweaters, I like to pick those with interesting details like graphics, text or maybe colours. While I love neutral colours, I wouldn't shy away from sweaters with bold colours. To make the outfit look even more intentional and not like I had just thrown on the first thing I saw, I tied a scarf as a bow on my head. Simple black flats and brass earrings completed the look. Some days call for simplicity and today's challenge was just that. Outfit Details Skinnies: borrowed from my sister Sweater: Thrifted (Gikomba) Flats: Bus Station, Nairobi Earrings and Scarf: Gift Thank you for stopping by. xo

 When it comes to colour, I usually tell myself that I am quite adventurous. But when I look at my closet, I seem to have clothes in certain colours only. Today's challenge was indeed a challenge! I couldn't find a colour in my closet that I hadn't worn this recently, except this neon green poncho. I usually wear it only during the cold season. But this year I was more into coats than sweaters and ponchos. Thus, it ended up stuck in my closet waiting for another day when I would wear it. Who knew this challenge would give it a chance to see daylight. Since the neon green stands out so much, I opted for black trousers and black shoes. I chose statement earrings as these were the only accessories I was planning to wear. What colours do you wear less frequently? Do share in the comments below.   Outfit Details: Poncho: old Trousers: Gift Shoes: Bus Station, Nairobi