Ode to My Fashion

Happy month of Ramadan.  If you have been following me for a while, you know what is Ramadan by now. But if you are new to this blog, and are not aware, Ramadan is a holy month when Muslim all around the world will fast from dawn till dusk, pray more and do good deeds. It is a month where you should increase practicing your faith. It is also a month of sharing as we are encouraged to donate food to people who are less fortunate.  Top - Sinniature (my clothing line) Pants - Numero Uno Sandals - Sandaga market Recently a huge debate happened on Twitter when someone posted a memo of the government of Gambia. The memo read : “ This is to authorise all female civil servants to close work at 1400 [2pm] from Monday to Thursday and adhere to the normal closing time for Friday [12:30pm] in honour of the holy month of Ramadan which officially begins today Tuesday.”  Women were allowed to go home earlier to prepare for Iftar (meal to break the fast).  Gambia is a small country ...

I can't stop looking at my nails right now! Hello! I am really happy today and I thought that I would share why with y'all. I had a mani pedi date with a friend. She introduced me to this spa that is not so far from my place. We went on a friday afternoon. I arrived first and earlier (which never happens) and was greated to pleasant smiles. I was asked to sit and wait in a beautiful pink sofa. I was also asked if I wanted something to drink such as coffee, tea or water. I was actually asked twice because I declined the first time. The second time I settled for cold water. While I waited for my friend, I checked their "menu". The place is a spa so they offer massages, facials, manicure, pedicure, access to hamam and jaccuzzi among other things.  Sorry for the poor quality of the video but check this sofa out. Pastel pink sofa?I died!!! Even the cushions in the waiting area were cute. When my friend arrived, we were both escorted to the pedicure lounge, a brightly lit p...

 Hello my dears! I am not sure if I have already told you but these past weeks I have been bored to death. Even watching new shows on Netflix does not excite me anymore. And I cannot go out as freely as I want because of a certain deadly virus. I have even considered taking some classes or enrolling to night school. I am still thinking about it but in the meantime, I have decided to tap into my creative side. I finished a project I had been thinking about for some time. I have several versions of it stored on my Pinterest page , but for today I am going for the heart appliqué. What you need:  - Some thread - embellishements (cauri shells, beads, sequins or anything you like) - a sturdy fabric (for this one I chose a neoprene one I found at my tailors) - a tee shirt or sweatshirt or even any other type of clothing you would like to use.  Step one: Take your fabric and draw a heart shape on it with a pen.  Step two: Divide inside the heart in different sections, they d...

 A few years back, weeks before I was to move to India, I read a book titled The White Tiger by  Aravind Adiga Back in those days, my sons' school allowed parents to use their library for free. I would spend some time there after dropping off my children, to borrow books to read later at home or just stay there all day reading. Before moving to India, to prepare myself I read several fictional books about the country but also watched several documentaries, and discuss with many Indian girlfriend. I was attracted to the book mainly because it dealt with India. I read it in a short amount of time, because it was intriguing and fun but also very scary.  Years later, in December 2020, I went to a private sale of used books and stumbled upon the book. I bought it without even blinking because I remembered how much I enjoyed the story. I arrived home and recommended it to my Dad. Imagine my surprise when barely two days later I saw an article online that the book had been adapt...

Hello  I rarely share negative things on my blog because I want to keep it fun and light. However, I thought it was primordial that I shared what was recently going on in my country.  For the past week, my country has been rocked by a wave of violence that is unprecedented, at least for me. A masseuse has accused the main opposition leader of rape and issuing death threats. He denied the allegations stating that it was a conspiracy from the president to oust him of the 2024 presidential bid. In fact,in the past, two other political opponents have been accused of embezzelment and jailed. They were later pardonned but could not participate in the presidential elections. The opposition leader refused to be interviewed at first by the prosecutor stating that he would only do so when his immunity as a congressional representative would be revoked. When his immunity got finally revoked, he decided to go to the police but got arrested on his way for allegedly disrupting the peace on ...

Dakar is not known for having many places where kids can be entertained. What parents usually do is, to enroll their children to classes such music, sports, dance, programming or go to an  amusement park once in a while. There are also some natural parks where kids could play. And let us not forget the movie theater. But since Covid-19 hit, not many places are open. It is often hard to find an interesting activity to do with children.  Fortunately, I was reminded that we had a Museum of Black Civilization when I saw on TV that they had an exhibit on Leonardo Da Vinci. When the kids were on break, I took them to see it.  We arrived at the Museum at around 1 PM on a Friday afternoon, after a copious breakfast at Simone café. The museum was almost empty which was perfect for us. I got a chance to see the Mona Lisa up close. Well it is a copy of the Mona Lisa because the real thing is still at the Louvres. I was not really amazed by the painting to be honest. Maybe because I ...

Hello Fam! Since the begining of 2021, so many things have been happening in this world but also in my life. It is hard to believe that we are only two months into this year. I am already having major 2020 deja vu. First off, this freaking desease is not going anywhere. Actually it seems it is gaining momentum. So many people I knew or who were friends of my parents have passed away. It is scary. The new British variant entered our country. We are still under curfew. I am still working half of the time from home, and I try to limit my time outside. Yet, sometimes I have to get out.  Beret - stolen from my Mother Metallic Sweater - Numero Uno Denim skirt - thrifted Slip on shoes - thrifted Bag - Kayoong (birthday gift) One sunday afternoon, tired of staying home and be gloomy, I decided to take the boys out. We went to check this Turkish restaurant that specialised in deserts in downtown Dakar, called Chocolate Sarayi. Since they opened more than a year ago, I always wanted to check...