20th : STEPPIN TO THE BAD SIDE

DING DONG!

 IT'S  MY BIRTHDAY!!!

I can't  believe it's  here already, even though I waited on it. Hope the holidays are going well for everyone?

Today's  post was inspired by a soundtrack from the movie Dreamgirls; STEPPIN' TO THE BAD SIDE, as it played from my ear plugs while I was deciding what I'd title this post.

Inspired by: stepping to the bad side sound track from the Movie;

Dream Girls.

Picture source: Web.

 Yes guys, I'm  stepping to the bad side, I'm  switching sides and crossing lanes  (or that's  what happens when you officially stop being a teenager). And what better way to cross borders than in the colour Red? Badass colour!

I chose this Red dress with a gold zipper for it's plain yet sophisticated  look. And that front slit. Front Slits for me are a perfect perfect way to show off hot legs. I paired with a silver necklace and white  bangles (oops, repeat guilty), white framed owl-eye sunnies, and white  newspaper  print  sandals and a matching clutch....

.....or a black ladylike bag (with mustard yellow charm for a pop) depending on the mood and suitability.

 I always choose comfort above everything  else when I'm  shopping but I couldn't  think at all about that when I first saw met these sandals. Like really, newspaper print?! Nice way to test my morals, o ye style gods. It didn't  matter that they were a couple of inches higher from my comfort zone. And they're  laced too incorporating  the "Lace up" trend.

Aren't  we stepping up?! Remember that saying about the ... 

"Best things never coming from comfort zones".

I don't  think that it is mere coincidence  that my birthday  is 2 days away from the New year, it makes New year resolutions  easier (later on the BLOG we'll  be talking New year resolutions). I am beyond grateful for how far I've  come, and I'm  hopeful about what  the future holds.

Also want to say thank you to my readers (present and future), thank you for being the audience  to my voice that was so hard to find. Thank you for reading and commenting and sharing. You guys make it all worth the effort. THANK YOU REALLY!

(Okay before I get emotional).

This is my cute silly smiley face.

You guys earned it. Haha

Like my look and want to shop it?

I got you!
Outfit Details
Red dress and Sunglasses: @miz_tobbie for Haute Couture

Newspaper print sandals and matching clutch: @sekinahshoegallery 

Black structured bag: @shopmaju

If you don't  have instagram but want to shop these items, please feel free to let me know. I could hook you up!

I hope everyone  is making NYE (new year's eve) plans already, it's  almost here guys!

May all of our dreams come true.

Don't  forget to let me know what you think by leaving a comment below;  at Ink 'N' Style, everyone's  opinions really count. And wish me a happy birthday too.

Today of all days, I am bursting with Love, love is all I have for you, till the last drop of ink from my own, I'll be loving you.

Dueces and Kisses,

MONAE.

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Accesorizing the Accessory

Seasons greetings!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful time with all the joy and cheer in the air. It's Christmas, well say post Christmas and it's new year soon. What's not to be excited about?
I'm doubly excited because it's my birthday tomorrow!!!! Do a back flip on my behalf, it's worth it....

So this is a mini post, since It's a quick one,
(And a weird post for a week start, but it's holiday season guys).
I just want to share with you guys a basic styling tip for accesorizing a purse.
A purse is one thing that telegraphs your style to the world. You could create an entirely different look from a casual tee shirt and jeans outfit, just with the right bag.
I love me a simple black purse, because of it's versatility, and uniqueness. I mean black has never been boring, but sometimes I love to spice it up. I bet y'all do too sometimes.
My favorite purse this moment is A black structured/ladylike Maju purse. It is made of reinforced leather that holds it's shape, and has both short and long handles for preference. It has a chic, vintage appeal for me.
So in a bid to spice this purse, I have recreated it's look by tying a vintage scarf that used to belong to my late grandmother, God bless her soul. The thing about this scarf is that it holds a lot of history and memories for me, and so it felt great to style my favorite black purse with it. I bet grandma is proud.

Also, I switched it up by pairing with this brown scarf that I bought from a supermarket's accessory rack, just in case you're wearing brown. I have rocked an all denim look with brown loafers and this black purse with the brown scarf tied to it's handle.

It could be anything; Ankara pieces, charms bangles, dangly earrings(especially if you can't find the second pair), or pearls. I'm yet to even try these, but I'm so going to try. I dare you to be different.
Hope the rest of the year runs smoothly for everyone of us. Have a great week start!
Deuces and Kisses,
Monae.

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Logbook: Week 1

Hello Lovelies,
I hope everyone is having a great week start, as I am, starting my day with Mass, and heading down to a shoot location. I make it sound like a huge deal I know, IT IS.
So This is the logbook entry for the past week.
I hope you Enjoy.

I am Beyond Grateful:
For 2015. It's almost over guys, and we're still here and for The Holidays; who doesn't love Christmas?
Apologetic:
For making you guys wait this long for the logbook entry, I'm genuinely sorry. I have my excuses, but they are not excuses really, I hope that the wait would be worth it by the time you're done reading.
Anticipating:
December 29th because I'm going to be a year older, and the new year, because it holds a lot.
Excited:
Because my Happy People Magazine boss got me on to something bananas, something better for y'all on here. More juicy details when it's new year.
Last Minute Revisions: 
For my examinations.
I'm writing 24 courses in 3 days, please wish me success.

Counting:
Blessings upon blessings, everything keeps getting better.
Reading:
Course materials from school.
Earlier during the week I tried doing a romance novel, epic failure. I woke up with the book on my face, opened at page 5. Funny, considering that I started my reading habit with newspapers and silhouette romance novels.
Wishing:
that I could travel and go skydiving, inspired by a documentary I saw on BBC.
Shopping: 
For gifts for my loved ones, I wanted to do a gift guide post for you guys on the blog but I felt it was too late. Let me know if it isn't. Like me, you might be doing some late Christmas shopping. I love the Christmas cards I bought, simple, classy and warm. They're so Monae..
Looking Forward: 
To watching the new star wars movie. That John Boyega guy be making a sister proud and crushing.

 Missing:
My mum, sweet soul. I can't wait to give her what I got her for Christmas..
Discovery:
It is official people! I have escalaphobia-the phobia for escalators. I hate to say it, but I guess the first approach to a problem is admitting there's a problem...
Growing up in a suburb town in south western Nigeria, Akure escalators were a movies thing. Until Abuja and Port Harcourt, and then Lagos.
Since then I have only tried to use it once, and boy, did I almost fall. Please don't laugh. I can't laugh about it even; it's pathetic. Sob.
That day at the mall in Ibadan, I had attended a party that happy people magazine was throwing. One boy I was speaking grammar for was there, I couldn't show my escalaphobia, so  I stepped on the escalator as I had seen him do and looked down, and that was my undoing. Thank God he held me, or they were all going to be calling an ambulance the next instant, not because I would be seriously injured(or who knows, shrug) but because I would fall and pretend to pass out, just so I don't have to give an explanation. Sigh.
I've avoided escalators in public places, airports, malls, and I don't even care that anyone notices. You don't know me, Thank you. So finally I have typed "fear of escalators" in my Google search box, expecting jumbled search results, but Google hit me up straight with "ESCALAPHOBIA". Fortunately, there is a solution on Wikipedia, trust me to read the entire thing. I don't need a therapist so I know I'm fine. Next time at the mall though, I'm using the Escalator, oh and I'll wear disguising makeup.

Photo source: Web.

Edited with Snapchat App.

That's all for now lovelies, I would love to tell more, but a sister has examinations and a lot of errands to run, so I have to Hit the hay at 3:22am.
I hope you like my pictures, despite the playful poses. It's a super casual look from my archives, I just thought I'd share. I paired a striped top with a slit leopard print maxi skirt that I totally love. I love clashing prints, even if I'm just stepping out for a stroll.
And my slippers match my skirt too. Grin.

Reading your feedbacks via the comment box is very motivating, Thank you!

I hope everyone has a great kick start to the new week. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Love, love and love,
Monae.

Photocredit: AyoFemi Photography

(I.G: @omo_harkin)

All pictures except escalator picture.

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SWAGGU SAUCE DRIPPIN' -CASUAL CHIC LOOK.

Good morning lovelies!
Who's excited? I am because it's the weekend baby. I promise you I'm bouncing on my bed as we speak. Haha.
So today, I'm breaking rules.
I think I'm a fashion rebel, always styling my outfits with the "do-not-pairs".
But a few weeks ago, before the Airtel × Access concert in my school, I could only express my rebel self in subtle, not so pronounced ways, even though my friends might argue that it's obvious. But wait guys, I haven't gone Lady gaga on you yet. So, yes this is subtle.
And so it was with great joy that I planned this casual outfit, when A.O (I G: A.O WORLD) whom I met alongside Vector (the viper, the real vector) while I was interviewing them for The happy people magazine. A.O told me about his style, and called it ;
SWAGGU SAUCE DRIPPIN'. (SSD)
Feel that?
He promised me he was a pioneer of this unique style. SSD is styling Ankara or African prints with the other.
Fashion is about creating a balance between identifying with my culture, because it is a part of me that I can't shake off, and also identifying with international styles and cultures because Monae is a renaissance woman.Fashion is a message, and can be spoken in different languages and expressed with different cultures. So now I bring my Africanism and my sporty chicness, just because I can't stick to the rules and because A.O world says so!

Like I did Here, styling orange coloured Ankara shorts that i had my tailor make with this very girly grey tee(thanks to eyelashes and lipstick pout), white sneakers and matching Ankara head tie for my hair, also accessorizing  with gold bracelets. I hope its swaggu, and hot and drippin too! I had to strut in these shorts, never mind that I wasn't wearing heels. They are still about my favorite pair of shorts at the moment.
Trust me, this is about to be the new cool.
And don't you forget, you heard it first at Monae's.

Lastly, like my hair? I bet you do, can't deny these babies look great , even on "a dark girl", as some "white Nigerian girl" said to me while admiring them. We know how braids can never stop being a thing, but we don't want to always have the same cliché braids. Hence, we girls tend to bring it back in some different unexplored way. I must admit that I once saw a girl mix colours wine and blue evenly on her braids and it looked gorgeous, even if it might be hard to imagine it. So I said to myself, "my next braids are going to be off the charts". And I added metallic(gold and silver) hair rings, or that's what I call them.
Now many people have been mixing extension colours black and gold/blonde, but I decided to combine colours BLUE and SILVER evenly, for my hair. There it is, you can try it.

Photocredit: AyoFemi Photography

The colours PURPLE and SILVER too are a gorgeous blend, they almost look lavender! I have seen it on my friend Tonia, who was going to do the exact one I have on, but I convinced her to use purple instead of blue, just to see how it would turn out. I can bet she's grateful she let me convince her. Haha.
I hope you're having a great weekend?
Weekend inspiration: The weekend is not a break from the grind, go out today and do something about your dreams. Even the littlest efforts count.
Thank you so much for reading!
And have a great productive weekend.
Love is all I have for you.
Deuces and Kisses,
  Monae.

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Style: Lust haves

Picture Source: web

Presently, I'm lusting over a pair of ripped denim shorts and I can't wait to style it with an oversized camo tee, red aviator sunglasses, a bucket hat, Ankara print bangles and a pair of red mules.
Even as I type, I can see it already and boy is it hot!
Excuse me, a girl can dream.
So here's a moodboard I created for this look, using pictures from the web.

I created this moodboard collaging pictures using PicsArt.

 I guess we all have a moment of style daydream, when you're shopping or just scrolling past a picture of some "under-rocked" jacket or a pair of great shoes, and the pity (especially if you can't afford them). Well, this happens to me often, and I guess it's the creativity and personal style parts of me fusing together. Fortunately, it helps me put into focus my wardrobe list when next I'm shopping, putting into consideration my wardrobe size and my purse.
I hope that you learnt a thing or two from this post.
Thank you for reading.
Today's Inspiration: (few words)
 Mastering isn't a click. It's a turnado. Be brave.
May your road be rough.
And have a lovely day!
Deuces and Kisses,
Monae.

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Style: Playing Dress up

I like to reminisce on memories from my childhood, and one of my favorites childhood memories is playing dress up in my mum's wig or my Aunty's shoes.
Even my Uncles' slippers weren't spared.
 Sadly the clothes never fitted.
How sweet was that.
But even as I  grow older, I still subconsciously play dress up when i'm deciding what to wear.
Point is; Playing dress up never gets old.
"When we were small children, we all played dress up and everybody had a good time. So why stop?"
- Iris Apfel.
Playing dress up has it's own advantages, and can occur briefly on a Monday morning or for a lengthy time on weekends, when you can style different pieces in multiple ways and check them out.
Maximizing to the limit.

Like I did here, tying the bandana on the forehead to keep hair away from my face, and again around my neck for a more versatile chic look.

I Styled this ripped pair of highwaisted denim with a denim jacket and blue loafers, while accessorizing with a bandana (which was styled two ways though), ceramic bangles, a wristwatch, and shades.
I also re-styled by replacing the denim jacket with a dogtooth print shirt, a black purse, and a studded brooch. Oh, and shy(since you probably didn't obviously notice) knuckle rings. I didn't stop there, I paired with the same blue loafers, i switched the glass bangles for chain ones, and used the bandana, this time as a not-so-perfect bow on my purse.

 As earlier stated, maximize to the limit. (There's never a limit though).
I hope you like the pictures.
How's your day going? I just thought I'd talk style upon the sudden impulse to do so.
Today's Inspiration: (few words)
 Mastering isn't a click. It's a turnado. Be brave.
May your road be rough.
And have a lovely day!
Deuces and Kisses,
Monae.

Photo credit: AyoFemi Photography 

I.G: @omo_harkin 

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Log book: Introduction

Photo credit: Web.

Hello lovelies,
I hope that you're having a great day, as I am. On this post I'll be introducing a post in series; The logbook.
As I am in my semi-final year , which is also the internship year, In the university. Students on their internship have to make an entry of activities and lessons learnt in a notebook called "The logbook". Hence the Blog Title.
In these posts, I'll be discussing tidbits from my real life experiences, my personal beliefs and life generally from my perspective. And not without the juicy parts I promise.
They will vary in subtopics, depending on what aspects they fall into(I.e finances, relationships, career, art, anything). I'm a very open person(it is what was made of me. Okay I'm getting personal already) and my interests broaden daily, I have my favorites though and I'm more intense about those. So please do not let my topics surprise you. Your honest opinions are welcome, although rude people will not be appreciated.
The logbook will come up once a week, but the days vary, so you have something to look forward to.
I'm excited about what I have in stock for you. I hope that you are too.
Have a lovely day. And thanks for reading, it means a lot to me.
Monae
Deuces and kisses.

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