FASHION ICON OF THE MONTH: GUCCI EZEALA (Beauty & Brains)

Ugochi Ezeala, popularly known as Gucci Ezeala is our "Fashion Icon" of the month. Gucci is a medical doctor, she obtained her degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine, West Indies, Grenada. From my previous article on “Dress To Kill” I said fashion is something you possess inside which reflects on the outside and Gucci is a true reflection of this statement. Having known her from FGGC, Owerri; she always stands out both academically and otherwise. As a deputy head-girl she composed herself in every manner to leave good examples for her juniors (like me) and as at then,  still had the fashion thingy going on even with our restricted uniforms (lol). There will always be something about her day-wear, or her outing uniform; her sandals or slippers. So that was a fashionista in the making who was just waiting to be unleashed. 

Gucci kills it with style, whatever the occasion (casual, trad), whatever the weather (summer/winter),  so LynnVille had a quick chat with Gucci about her style and this is what she shared with us. 

What does fashion/style mean to you?

Simply put, my style is a way for me to express my creativity, personality, and originality. Fashion affords me the opportunity to express the artsy side of me. It balances out my geeky/nerdy side and it makes me happy… lol. I am yet to experience a sad moment in my life, that retail therapy did not make me a “liiiiitttttle” bit better! hahaha

What inspires your style? 

My style is inspired by my mood on most days, trends on some days, and the event I am going to on other days. A few people that I consider fashion icons also inspire my style. I usually try to be creative when I put pieces together.

It's spring now & summer is fast approaching, what kind of clothes would you suggest to look glam this season?
I love floral prints, and bright colored pieces, and I think they always look nice if well put together. Maxi dresses look elegant, and spring/summer is the best time to wear them.

Your hair is always on point, how do you pick your hair styles?

When it comes to my hair, I always keep it simple. I am tender headed, and I honestly don’t enjoy the pain of getting my hair done. Sometimes I cringe at the thought of getting my hair done. I pick my hair styles based on the weather, so in the summer, I tend to go for something, light or shorter, and in the winter, I go for braids, longer or “big” hair. I am a girly girl, so I like a lot of curls! 

You're a doctor & a fashionista.. How do you do it?

Before I wanted to become a doctor, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I have always loved fashion, for as long as I can remember. My dad is very fashionable, so as a little girl, I would always admire the way he dressed and his ability to put pieces together nicely. And when I gained admission into medical school, my dad while giving me advice said, “Medical school is not about wearing blue shoe and handbag, and it is not a fashion parade, now that you have decided to go to Medical school, you have to put fashion aside, because you cannot do both!” I looked at him thinking, “You must be joking!” Even through the stress of Medical school, my passion for fashion became stronger than ever; I would spend many hours shopping online, reading fashion blogs/ magazines, instead of reading my books… lol. Even though, I am living my dream of being a doctor, I plan to pursue my passion for fashion in the near future. (Watch out for Guccis's fashion blog soon)

The fashionista using her gifted hands

What's your best fashion item?

A smile and confidence! These might not necessarily be considered “items” but I think they go a long way to put the POW in every ensemble.

Finally, what advice would you leave with us about fashion?

Fashion is what you make of it.

There is no rule to fashion; it does not have to be high-end and expensive to be considered fashionable. Always remember to stay true to your personality, and wear clothes and accessories that you feel most comfortable in. It’s ok to follow trends, but you can also be a trendsetter. Finally, don't be afraid to move out of your comfort zone and try new things. While confidence is key.

Gucci featured on Bella Naija Red Carpet at the 2012 Music Meets Runway (Lagos)

Nice combo... She knows how to work it with blazers 

Ada mara nma...she killed the oleku & one-strap trad

Amazing colours...she always gets it right

Perfect casual outfit...she nailed it

Who says you can't rock your fashion in winter/spring???

Stepping out in animal prints

Beautiful, peaceful & gentle....

Which outfit is your best? I’ll say all of them, drop your thoughts below and be sure to check back for more fashion updates.

XX

Lynn

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS - How to Survive The Stages and Phases of Life

So many devices need to be upgraded, it's natural that we want to use the newest version of phones, laptops, cars etc. It is normal that we crave for a higher desire after one has been met. Eg. upgrade from BB bold to a BB Z10 or an upgrade from a mac book to a mac pro for Apple lovers. Same is with cars..when the Toyota 2011 model is outgrown, there's a craving to drive the latest 2013 model. Yeah that's life for you.. how can I forget the upgrade from Darling Yakis to Brazillian hair, and then Indian, next Peruvian, Cambodian, Mongolian (loll...I'm guilty of this one*covers face*). Don't get me wrong...upgrade is very necessary; the issue is that we have upgraded a lot of things we possess but always forget to upgrade our lives. Have you ever sat to reflect on your life, how things have happened over the years? Have you ever said things like, "if I knew then what I know now, maybe I would have done things differently"? That's because at that time, you did not have the  updated software your brain operated on until now that a new application has been installed for you to think the way you do now.You don't expect to continue thinking the same way you were thinking 5 years ago and expect something new to happen in your life. You do the same things you've been doing 10 years ago and expect a different result...NAH BRUV, that aint gonna happen. Even God said "I'm doing a new thing" (Isaiah 43:19) so what are you waiting for???  

An upgraded software/programme/app usually comes with better features than the previous. I upgraded my iOS (the Apple operating software) sometime last month and I'm enjoying some new things I see. An upgrade does not only come with better features but also helps the company to boost sales and attract new customers...(sorry, I'm reasoning like a business analyst, I'll break it down) In simple terms, when your life is upgraded, you are a better person with a better character and this naturally attracts people to you because you'll always have solutions to problems, people will seek your advice and confide in you. 

Life is in stages and phases; you have to go from nursery school into primary school, then Secondary, University, then (MA, M.Sc &Ph.D). Life hands us lemons in each phase of life and our ability to step up and make it into lemonades is what pushes us to the next phase in life. The same way you have to write an exam to move from JSS 1 to JSS 2, same thing happens when you need to move to the next phase of your life. There will always be obstacles to stop you, so many things will happen to try to keep you at that level; whenever you face some kinda challenges...it's usually a sign that there is a promotion for you. To survive these challenges life will throw at you, you need to upgrade your life at each stage...if not, you will feel the whole world is on your shoulder. The question is "How do you upgrade your life"? 

While at Zenith bank, I gave a presentation on Personal Effectiveness and Professionalism in my branch. I used Steven Covey's 7 habits of highly effective people. I'll share with you some of the major things I spoke about. To be effective means to accomplish a purpose or produce an expected result. When God made you, He made you for a purpose and in Jeremiah 29:11, he tells you that His thoughts towards you are to give you an expected end. To achieve your purpose in life & to reach that desired success, you'll need PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS a.k.a PERSONAL UPGRADE. You'll need to be effective at every stage of your life. Personal Effectiveness therefore means making the most of all personal resources at your disposal - your personal talents, energy and time. Steven Covey gave 7 habits we should adopt but I'll focus on 6 of them; these habits will give your life a constant upgrade and reprogramming to always keep up ahead in the journey of life. 

1) Pro-Activity: Being PROACTIVE simply means assessing the situation and developing a positive response for it. Proactive people are driven by values , they use their resourcefulness and initiative to find solutions rather than just reporting problems and waiting for other people to solve them. Our response to what happens to us affects us more than what actually happened so we can choose to use difficult situations to build our character & develop the ability to handle such situations in the future.

2) Begin With The End In Mind (the habit of personal leadership): The end represents the purpose of your life. Until you can say what that purpose is with assurance, then you just cannot direct your focus in the manner that would bring you the greatest satisfaction. To engage in this habit, you need to have a dream, define your own vision and get into the practice of setting goals which will allow you to make measurable progress towards the dream.

3) First Things First (the habit of personal management): I’ll also call this setting our priorities right. It has 4 categories:

Important & Urgent: these are things which must be done because they contribute to your purpose and have a deadline. Give more attention to these things.

Important but not urgent: these activities are key to getting your results. Concentrating on them is absolutely fundamental to achieving results and spending  appropriate time on them will help you gain control over circumstances of life. Eg relationship-building, improving your professional knowledge.

Not important but urgent: these are activities that consume your time but do not contribute to your goals, they are called interruptions. 

Not important & not urgent: these activities take your time and add no value. Much time shouldn't be spent on them. Eg gossiping

4) Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood: This habit is an important key to inter-personal relationships. It is about understanding that our natural habit of mind is to misunderstand people & simply make our own meaning based on our own experiences and understanding of life; and frequently we make the wrong meaning. First, make efforts to understand what is being said because if both parties are trying to be understood, neither of them is really listening. People become more open, more teachable & more interested in what you may have to say with the mutual understanding that flows from this habit.

5) Synergize (the habit of creative co-operation):  This habit involves putting your head together with another person in order to find a solution which contains a win-win benefit. I have this notion that no man is an island; two heads are always better than one- so collaboration is necessary. Harness the power of creative co-operation. See the good, and the potential, in the contributions of others. It includes appreciating people, inspiring and encouraging them for contributions made.

6) Sharpen The Saw (the habit of self renewal): This is the backdrop of all other habits, enabling and encouraging them to happen and grow. Here, you are the saw; and to sharpen the saw is to become better, keener and more effective.  It is in four parts:

 Spiritual: Notice this is first in the steps to sharpen yourself. YOU NEED GOD in this journey…I tell people that life is more spiritual than physical and to survive the obstacles you’ll face, you need spiritual back-up. In that realm, I advise you stick with the Big-G cos he has the greatest power to take through every stumbling block that stands in your way. Grow spiritually, grow your relationship with God, don’t forsake the assembly of the brethren and lastly – PRAY (a lot).

Mental: Learn to read, don’t get too comfortable with being in a particular position. Improve your knowledge, harness your skills. Invest in your building yourself, upgrade your qualifications depending on  how high you want to climb in your profession – depending on whichever career path you have chosen. Just don’t stay in one spot, keep moving.

Physical: You cannot keep the inside and upstairs running without building the outside as well. Take care of your body,  exercise, rest when you should. Don’t over-work yourself (something I should learn -blogging at 4:55am when I should be sleeping), eat healthy…in one word, JUST LOOK GOOD.

Social/emotional: Build your relationship with people, guard your emotions. Don’t allow anything spoil your mood; don’t allow negative things affect you. Don’t allow somebody’s bad attitude affect the good in you, don’t venge your frustrations on other people. Don’t hurt people…learn to uplift instead of casting down. Speak good of people, see the good in others, speak positive words. In a nutshell…Live a life of LOVE. Love is all that matters, give it without expecting anything in return. 

By applying these habits  to the way we operate in our day-to-day lives, there is great potential to harness personal effectiveness and upgrade our way of life. So press that UPGRADE button and take control of your life…Nothing moves until you move and Things don’t change until you change.  READY FOR AN UPGRADE???

PS: Excerpt from Steven Covey's 7 habits of highly effective people; but the explanations are from my medula oblongata through constant re-programming and continuous upgrade :). I hope this article inspired you, pls share your thoughts below in the comment box.

XX

Lynn

DRESS TO KILL…BUT DON’T KILL YOUR BANK ACCOUNT

Walking to my desk one morning, with my bagel and caramel cappuccino Starbucks coffee to spark up the day; next thing I heard from one of my team members was “Lynda, I’m sure you spend all your salary on clothes”…HAHAHAHAHA; I laughed so hard my coffee spilled. I turned again to look at her and in fact laughed even more. HELL NO…Who does that? I hardly even shop (for real).

As much as we want to look good, fashion and style is something you must possess on the inside before it can reflect outside. It is that thing in you that can transform any piece of clothing into a beautiful outfit, it is that charisma and poise that goes with you when you dress up; it’s about your inner self. Style is not seen in the number of clothes hanging in your wardrobe or how many designers clothes you have. Style is a definition of your inner self and how it is reflected on the outside. No matter how many clothes you have, you can still go wrong with body fitting, colour combination, wrong matching or poor accessories. Fashion is one of the easiest things to do; but yet kinda complicated. You have to understand its language in order to communicate effectively.

Having said that, so many people have the mindset of “dressing to kill” and this drives them to do crazy things just to fit into a particular class. So how do you dress to kill without killing your bank account???

Define Who You Are: This is the first thing you have to do. Ask yourself who you are, what you represent and how you want to be addressed. Who you are will be seen on how you dress, what image will you be portraying if you dress different from who you are? Let your dressing reflect your image.

Know Where To Shop: The bible said “My people perish for lack of knowledge”. Absolutely true because some people’s fashion sense has perished for lack of knowledge of where to shop. They have the money, but just don’t know the right shop for what they want. So they use the money on the wrong clothes and end up with fashion police, loll. As a young lady, you don’t go to a mama’s shop to buy clothes cos you will buy something that will make you look older than your age.

Shop According To The Size of Your Wallet: Yeah…this is where a lot of people get it WRONG. Watch confessions of a shopaholic. Why heap up debts for yourself all because you want to shop more than you can afford? You can admire Vicky Becks (Victoria Beckham) but sweetie, your pockets aint the same size so don’t get yourself in trouble. Refer to No 2… there are shops where you can get beautiful outfits that will not cost you a fortune. It’s no use buying a top for £575; then a skirt to go with it for £320 when your monthly salary is £1000. Who are you trying to impress? No one is going to stop you on the way and ask how much your outfit cost or how much your total look is worth. You don’t have to compare yourself with anyone; dress to impress yourself and be content with what you have. Best advice, shop when things are on sale and you still get quality for a good price not armed-robber salary price. With £50, I can buy 4 good looking clothes and still dazzle on the red carpet. Fashion is how you put the little pieces together to create a unique style, you don’t have to spend a fortune to look good.

Prioritize - Buy What You Need NOT What You Want: Sitting opposite me in the office is a wonderful colleague (a guy) who is a shopaholic. He goes out for lunch and comes back with new shoes, more than twice lolll. He has more shoes than a lady. One Thursday morning, he send me a text saying he’s shopping on Oxford Street (really??? Instead of coming to work) and then he strolls in late to work with this ah-may-zing blazers. In his words… “I just couldn’t let it go, it was originally £110 but on sale now £30”. He has so many blazers but just wanted to add that to his collection. This morning, I mentioned to another colleague that I haven’t bought anything for myself since December 2012 cos I’m trying to be discipline with shopping/spending so I can save money and she goes “What??? I can’t do that”. She said she does not earn as much as she wants to spend so she spends what she gets… sooo funny. This is what happens to so many people. If you don’t need it, save the money instead of putting yourself in unnecessay debt.

Put A Check On Yourself: You may be able to skip through step 3 above and decide to shop according to your wallet size but if you have friends who love shopping around you…then you need to keep a check on yourself. If you can’t win them, PLS don’t join them. Instead WEAN them. I fell into a trap sometime in 2010; went shopping with two friends and I ended up with 2 items for £110 and the worst part was that I did not even like these outfits myself but my friends thought it was “to-die-for”. Fortunately for me, there’s a refund and exchange policy in England (if say na naija I go just cry cos I was still a student then). I got back home feeling so unhappy…the next day I took them back cos I didn’t even need them in the first place. So how do you put a check on yourself? When they come knocking, give an excuse to go somewhere; leave your credit/debit card at home if you could not find a good excuse. Go with them, but when it’s time to pay just start searching your purse and say “ouch… I forgot my credit card” with a sad look L on your face. Tell them you’ll come pick it up the next day (lol). There’s always a way to put a check; you just need to know your friends and how to work with them. 

Recycling: Some people think it’s a crime to repeat a dress you’ve worn before; NO there’s absolutely nothing with wrong with that. What will be wrong is repeating it after 3 times in a week. I’ll tell you what I do; I have some clothes I’ve only worn once in 6 months. So I do not wear these clothes for a long time but when I wear them again, people admire it as though it is new. Whenever I am tempted to buy something new, I stand in front of my wardrobe and say to myself…”Lynda, there must be something here that you can wear and eventually I find something to wear after many trials in front of the mirror trying to pair outfits”. There’s always a way out.

Try Something Different: If you have a dress that you’ve always worn in one pattern; probably cos that’s how it was set on the mannequin when you bought it… It’s time to try something different. For example, I wore one of my dresses to work today but I usually wear it with a waist belt or a blazer but today I decided to do something different. I put a waist coat on it…I loved the outcome J. If you have a long sleeved shirt, try folding the sleeves to create a funky ¾ turn-up sleeve. If you’ve always used a white shirt for that blazers, try to add something colorful to the outlook. Spice up your look, let there be something new about your dressing every day, step out of the comfort zone.

There are more tips to give you, like knowing what kinda clothes best suit your body shape; what accessories to match your outfit; colour combination, how to pair your clothes, and finally your composure/poise/charisma. After all is said and done and you cannot compose yourself, your fashion sense would be incomplete.

I hope this was helpful, now you can dress to kill without killing your bank account. 

XX...Lynn

LOVEWORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL...REGISTER NOW FOR AUDITIONS

DO YOU HAVE AN AMAZING VOICE? It's time for the world to hear it. Register for auditions NOW!

Loveworld Music Festival is a celebration of music designed to fill the airwaves with God's praise. It comprises of a singing competition and a concert. The much enjoyed singing competition gives contestants the opportunity to display the true worshipper within as they battle it out before four seasoned judges.

The audition stages require the judges to whittle down the hundreds of contestants to a tidy number of 10. The 10 selected contestants will go through to the semi-finals and 3 will be chosen to go through to the finals and concert where the winner will be crowned.

The competition segment of LMF was last held in 2009 where David Balogun aka David B was crowned the winner. Lorraine Clarke won in 2008 and Emeka aka Sam Obi Mex was the first ever winner in 2007.

Past contestants include:

Teni Abosede (Teny Tinks) who is currently working as a session singer and background vocalist in New York with the likes of Karen Clark Sheard, Bishop Iona Locke and Daniel Sneed. This gave her the opportunity to sing at President Obama's Inauguration Ball. She will also be touring with Wynton Marsellis on his upcoming tour.

Joelle Moses of 'The Voice UK' fame. She chose to be a member of Will.I.AM's team after all four judges turned their chairs at her blind auditon on the much acclaimed BBC show.

Blessing Ntsikelelo Vani who has since featured in the hit musical - 'The Lion King' in central London.

The finals/concert for 2013 will feature performances from the Loveworld Music Ministry UK, past contestants, Sinach and a host of others.

REGISTER @ http://www.loveworldmusicfestival.co.uk/auditions.html

Venue                                                                                    Telephone

Loveworld TV Complex                                             0207 511 5830

Henley Road

London E16 2ES                                                        Email: lmf2013@loveworldtv.co.uk

Audition dates

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Don't hide your talent...You're just one step to being a star...God has given you a voice, use it to bless others. Al the best with the auditions.

INCOMPLETE WITHOUT HIM...

Beautifully and Wonderfully made for HIS glory

You are my bright and morning star

The air I breathe that's who you are

Your touch ignites me

Your smile excites me

You are in everything I do

I'm incomplete without you

I don't know what I'll  do

If I would...If I would loose you

Words alone are cannot explain the ignition and feelings that surge through my body while in His presence. His touch is so magical; his smile so exciting I want to keep looking at his face. Oh, and his words are as sweet as a honey comb. His big arms wrap me up in his warm embrace..I just wanna be there forever. What an ecstasy and sweet fellowship, I love him so much. But then, I wonder why he loves me the way He does; why He chose me from the crowd; why He fashioned me the way He did. In my imperfection, He saw a perfect heart; in my inability He is more than able; in the time of weakness He is always my strength, my ever present help, my all in all. What would I ever do without You... I love you Jesus, I'm so incomplete without you. 

I just had to express how much I love God. For the past 7 days, I have been off social media - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Blogging etc. I just wanted to get lost in Him and fine-tune my antenna to His frequency, to go deeper in my relationship with Him. And...WOW, it was and has been so exciting. Sometimes you need to take time off the things that take your attention and focus on God for clarity, focus, wisdom and directions. A place of solitude, worship, fasting and prayers. A place of LOVE. 

Every moment of prayer is an investment in eternity and true romance of righteousness... Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

Indeed, the place of prayer and worship is a sweet, loving, romantic experience. No one can ever love you  the way God does, there is no love greater than His. I just can't explain the feeling. So when you feel the world is crumbling on your shoulders and there's nowhere to hide, He's always there by your side; he wants to hold you tight and take your tears away. Through every challenge, trouble, worry, cares, whatever the need...just get into a sweet romance with God and experience spiritual ecstasy that turns situations around. Just focus your gaze on the "SON" and you won't see the shadows. I'm already seeing the results...I'll share them with you gradually as  the days go by.

I encourage you to listen to this song... I was moved to tears in worship, the chorus is written above. I couldn't find the video on YouTube so watch the full song here http://www.pastorchrisonline.org/channel/watch/cha3e8p/?videoID=vid59ab#

Have a beautiful week

Lynn

TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE

HEY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE...It's been a while, apologies for going AWOL for 2 weeks without a word. I've been pretty busy, so so so busy you can't imagine. Thank God for my life, I finally got to change my hair (after errmmm...3 months *covers face* #trueconfession) since December, unlike me but trust me to keep it looking fab at all times. People were still asking where I made the hair as though I made it just last week. 

OK...back to business.

We've all been given 24 hours in a day to spend, for how long we will continue to spend these daily hours...we do not know. Whether for 70 or 80 years we do not know. What we do with our 24 hours in every 365 days determines how the 70/80 years would eventually turn out. The difference from where you are today and where you want to be in the next 5 years is TIME. Are you using yours wisely or are you wasting it? Are you investing your time? How valuable is time to you? What are the things you spend more time on? Are those things taking you closer to where you want to be in the future or are they delaying you or maybe putting you on a spot? Time flies my dearest; clocks don't stop ticking and time won't wait. I remember when we were so excited about the new millennium; now it's 13 years later and still counting. If you decide to do nothing with the time you have, it would not stop time from moving. Your age will continue to increase as the years run by; winter and summer will still come and go; everything that was supposed to happen will still happen except that YOU will still remain at one spot. Do something with your time, add something to your life, while time flies...fly with it; invest in yourself  and make the best of your 24 hours in each 365 days. My friend Niyi (Neeyee) Oladeji posted this short analogue below on his facebook page and it's just in-sync with TIME so I decided to share it with you.

Consider a 30yr old lady without a University degree. Let’s assume she thought of being a PhD holder but felt that it was too late considering her age. Imagine if she decided to enroll for a University degree which would take an average of 3 years in UK and immediately afterwards she enrolled for an MSc programme which would take a year. Most likely, by the time she is 35yrs old, she would have been an MSc holder. 

If she chooses to go further immediately, she then enrols for a PhD which should take around 4 years. She would be a PhD holder by the time she is 40yrs. I know I have eliminated all other circumstances surrounding her decisions, such as, family, finances and other commitments but the fact is either she decides to develop herself or not she would have reached 40yrs anyway.

Moral: Time waits for no one. It continues at the same pace no matter what you choose to do with yours. Invest your time wisely to develop yourself intellectually because sooner than later your investments would differentiate you from other people. An investment does not have to do with Masters or PhD, it could be in certifications, learning a new language, expanding your spiritual capacity or learning a new skill. 

Have a lovely week ahead

XX

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REV. ANITA OYAKHILOME

When we hear stories about angels and marvel at the glory of God’s creation; I can testify that I have seen one. An angel in a human body, a shining star full of splendour and glory. A woman of valour, a virtuous woman, a mother, a sister and friend… On the 26^th of February many years ago, God was so kind to bless the world with one of his angels in the person of PASTOR ANITA OYAKHILOME. 

I love her so much.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MA.