ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE.

a few friends and I went hiking on MLK day!

so much laughter and happiness, I have to wonder why more time isn't spent exploring the simple and beautiful outdoors.

there was no cell phone signal, no (real) food, no expectations, no limits. there was us, the world, and the sun.

(and water. LOTS of water.)

 

whether it's in the mountains or the backyard- make 2014 a year of carefree unadulterated adventure.

the bright side

recently, I have felt like my life has been one small trial after the next. in small trials, I don't feel like I can really complain because I know how much worse things could be and how blessed I am. but there comes a point where I have to stop and ask God what he is doing. I know that He is here and real because not much of me makes sense without Him. but I don't know why I have felt so alone in my trials. if He is here and He is good, why the pain in the midst of prayer? why the struggle in the midst of faith? I got to a place of frustration with God, which He is more than big enough to handle, and I just wanted to understand. not for it to get better or for a magic solution, just for an answer from Him. He always answers us in ways we don't expect, but he does answer.

I finally sat down and did something this morning that I actually haven't done in a while: I opened up the bible and read. if you want to hear from God, why not go to the direct source of His words? and it was wonderful. here is what I read:

" Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. ² One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. ³ The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. ⁴ Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. " Romans 14:1-4

I was so humbled and grateful and delighted to see how the Lord defends us, even when our faith is weak. and even in our weakness, He is "able to make us stand." that is amazing. that is the God I serve. He does allow trials, but trials are edifying and we are actually supposed to be grateful for them. (Romans 5: 3-5) I'm far from there, but I understand it. in the same way that I am grateful for my mom taking away a lighter that I was having so much fun playing with, the Lord has taken and with held what will only harm me in the future. I'm too small to see the harm it will bring. we all are. He is good.

another thing that helped me greatly was a sermon by Joyce Meyers and I HIGHLY recommend this to any and everyone. so many gems in this I can't even name them all. but one thing I will say is that how we feel and what we believe ARE two different things. so it really helps to stop and get back to what we believe. and for me, that is that the Lord is always with me and works all things together for my good (Romans 8:28... so much goodness in Romans!)

today was almost 70 degrees in the middle of december and just days ago there was snow and ice on the ground. also, I feel like I got clarity from the Lord. I'd say this is as bright a side as any.

sweater: anthropologie
shirt: gap
jeans: urban outfitters
dr martens: nordstrom rack
brahmin bag: dillards

ode to anthro

I always wanted a job where I would be surrounded by creativity, originiality, and art. if you know anything about anthropologie, you know that the store is all of the above. the visuals alone in the store are always incredible, and I feel like anthro has some of the best buyers in the world. (bias here, I'll admit..) the clothes in the store somehow manage to cover a wide range of tastes and preferences while carrying a sense of cohesiveness across the board. many different types of people can shop at anthro and feel like the store just "gets" them. an enjoyable experience is pretty much guaranteed, whether you came out with new treasures or not. I feel like the brothers, husbands, and boyfriends secretly love tagging along on anthro trips because there is always the chance that we will have some sort of delicious pastries for shoppers and their tag-a-longs. this past weekend with all the black friday shenanigans, we offered hot cider and snickerdoodle cookies to all the guests. I can't think of any other retail store that has as much as a "make yourself at home" feel as anthro does. AND the place always smells amazing. it may not be a marketing strategy, but burning those capri blue candles throughout the store has got me coveting quite a few of them.

I love the creative aspect of anthro as well. so much more than you would think goes into the different areas of the store. every section is themed to fit the personality of several specific styles. don't even get me started on the creative design. or do. because I love it. every store is different- there are no floor sets. what you see when you walk in is the creative vision of the visuals manger for that specific store. they have to get their ideas approved, but there is much creative freedom. if you've never visited a store, I highly recommend it even if only to look around. from season to season it is ever changing and always more lovely than the last. I also get in on the creativity in ways I didn't expect to. I've gotten to style so many people and give opinions that they value and trust. so. much. fun!

employees are treated so well in the store I work at. I feel like I lucked out with incredibly gracious and kind managers. they made black friday fun by having us dress up - Gatsby themed! they took pictures of us and gave out prizes (i mean, really!) and they also had "snacks and sips" in the back for employees - which is not uncommon. not to mention, we get an insane-good discount! here are a couple of gems I recently picked out:

scarf: burberry, shirt: anthropologie, cords:anthropologie, boots: vintage, parka: tobi

I feel blessed to work in such a lovely and inspiring environment. I'm not sure where I'll be long term, but I'm thinking I like the place I'm in right now. what do you love about your job/current season of life?

so... what's ankara..?

a little background on me, I am a first generation American which means both of my parents were born in a far away land. specifically, Nigeria. I feel like I can identify with a lot of my mixed race friends, because my siblings and I grew up with two cultures. at a younger age, this was something I resented. it was so hard for me in primary and secondary school, and the majority of my peers were black. you're probably wondering "uhhh so are you.. soo.. what's the problem there?" I think they expected me to look, act, and think like them, and that was far from the case. I struggled to find people I really identified with because I was nothing like the people who looked like me. I actually didn't realize this was the root of all my internal struggles until college (culture is super important, people!)

anyway, I am now a college graduate! (CONFETTI) I studied psychology ...maybe that's another reason I was able to arrive at my AH-HA moment..  I am now in grad school wanting to be an art therapist. I hope to incorporate an understanding of culture in my practice, because I believe it's thuper duper important to know where you come from if you want to find out where you're going.

ok, end sidebar, now about ankara.

gah, it's so fun and colorful. it's typically made out of cotton and has a waxy finish sometimes. it was originally made in Europe by the Dutch for Indonesian textiles. the material mistakenly gained more popularity and interest in west Africa (where I'm from) than Indonesia and now is a major symbol of africaaa. I love it.

there are many other types of traditional fabric, but ankara is one that is used informally for everyday wear. this is why I thought it would make sense to incorporate it into my blog's name. I'm here to talk about ways we can be inspired to style, make art, music, and be creative every day. i'm very influenced by my culture, as my love and curiosity for it has only grown. I hope that little history lesson wasn't too boring;)

recently (I think around '10) there was a huge emergence of ankara on the runway. I was SO excited to see this embrace of something I've always known and grown up with. it's like how we see oaxacan dresses, peasant dresses, kimonos, ect. I hope to see ankara embraced internationally a whole lot more in the future. it's a beautiful thing to get to witness at my age. I know a decade ago, it would not have been so much as thought about in this country because of our history with America. on a much happier note, here are a few stunning photos of current ways I've seen ankara in the mainstream!

 

seriously. just, wow. so mad at myself for not embracing this friggin amazing culture sooner. I mean, I was swooning just going through all these. I guess it's all a part of personal growth - learning to embrace the path you came from and not only that, but being able to say you wouldn't have it any other way.

 

here's how some celeb beauties have been styling ankara:

as if I didn't already think gwen was the epitome of badassness.. she starting a whole line of clothes made with ankara!  an L.A.M.B. collection - czech it out!

 

 

 

 

queen B and solange wear it. WELL.

 

 

and so many more!

 

 

 

ok ok I'll stop. I have a slight obsession:)

I encourage you to do a little digging on your culture, whether you feel like you're bursting with culture or not. more than likely, you'll be amazed at what you find.