Anne Roshie 6/23/16 Anne Roshie 6/23/16

HELLO SUMMER 16

I love the fact that Dashiki's are every where now! It's a beautiful thing to see. This past weekend I went to a day party at LA Marina, Uptown Manhattan. The party is aptly named Everyday people. I hate to use this word because it has been over used so much we should just retire it and coin another phrase. However, it seems appropriate so what the heck! The party was LIT! Lit with drinks, good music, good vibe, good weed, yes I said weed. It's 2016 for Pete's sake! It's a herb like Rosemary and Thyme. I don't see anyone giving anyone a side eye for saying Thyme. Every summer, there seem to be a word coined for that particular time. There was Turned up, then it was coined to Turnt now everything Lit.

The other thing that was Lit at this Party was the Dashiki print. It lit up the place like lanterns on a warm evening. The vibrant colors, superior print and gorgeous design stated that you were there. You had arrived! Dashiki's are the Starbucks of African prints. You could a spot a Dashiki every five people you passed. I saw a guy wearing a Dashiki sleeveless shirt with a hood on, a girl in a pretty flowy skirt, another one in a crop top, it was a Dashiki fest! I took this in while sipping on my drink bobbing to Lost boys.

I rocked my Dashiki a day before the everyday people event. After shooting these pics, I linked up with a few of my friends around Columbus Circle for a Happy hour session. I met a guy from Mozambique who had just moved to New York City from Upstate New York. As the margaritas' kept flowing, our conversation rolled into our thoughts on the cultural integration that is currently going on. He asked my thoughts on it and I candidly told him that I love it. African prints, especially here in the States was not the "cool" thing to rock, but there has been a social cultural shift.

According to a recent New York Times article on Prom Dresses in African Style. A large group of black women are embracing themselves and their beauty. Veronica Wells, an associate editor of Mademenoire, a popular blog for black women stated that once young black women start investigating their roots and background, they start distancing themselves from the strict European standard of Beauty.The past couple of years I have seen an overwhelming representation of Prom gowns in African print. Some have even gone viral. Hashtags like #blackgirlmagic and #blackgirlsrock have sprung up and a recent fave hashtag #ifthisisatrenddontletitdie in regards to the beautiful representation of African inspired prom gowns.

People usually wear what they feel connected to. It's a way of stating who they are and what they believe in. Rocking a Dashiki print or Ankara print can be political to. It became popular in the 60's with the rise of Black movement. It's popular now because it's a reflection of our changing times in terms of beauty and diversity. You might have noticed all the melanin hashtags on your social media pages too. Yes. Your black is beautiful! There is something else I noticed. The confidence. Gosh, it's on ten million. The guy in his sleeveless Dashiki flexing is boulders of arms had his hood on in 80 degree weather. He must have felt like Shaka Zulu! The only thing he was missing was a spear.

Later as were were walking back home after the Happy hour session with my friends, I spotted a lady in a Blue Dashiki walking towards my direction. As our eyes met, I quipped a quick

"Hey sis!"

She smiled like a long lost sister and said Heeyy Sis! We smiled and went on our merry way. Kinship! There will be more day parties, tons of Dashiki and I am personally looking forward to Afro Punk in Brooklyn later this year. This is going to be an amazing Summer! Hello Summer 2016!

You ask me if I love all this cultural integration? Heck yeah! As I strut away, a gladiator in a Dashiki!

Thanks for stopping by.

Dashiki: ROSHIE ANNE

Gladiator sandals: Zara

Mini bag: F21

Anne Roshie 6/9/16 Anne Roshie 6/9/16

SELF

It’s been a while since I put fingers to keyboard and punched in what’s been on my mind. So grab a cup of tea or coffee, it’s going to be a long one.

I was a late bloomer. My girlfriends blossomed and bloomed like pretty flowers at springtime when adolescence kicked in. Adolescence was like having Amazon prime, some ladies got their shipping on the same day. The longest it took was was next day service. Some, like me had no internet, hence we waited for our adolescent packages to come via carriage or a ship from the other side of Westeros. We clearly were not on the 20th century. By packages, I mean what Shakira sings about regarding the honesty of the hips, or that hideous name that I came across studying Biology. Mammary glands! Why in heavens would anyone call breasts ….. That name is too hideous! I digress.

In high school, I saw long flowy hair. Some natural, others aided by chemicals. My hair was averse to nature and or chemicals. I gave it a try my first year of high school to no avail. Even the harshest chemicals could not tame this hair. I used to split my hair right in the middle then brush it. Let it be known that my hair was a mess. It did not survive the first term. Sigh* The hair had to go! Having short hair is not my first run at the rodeo.

My dental formula was a mess. You easily could calculate the area of each tooth and find it's square root while you were at it. The worst part about it, I loved to laugh! I still do. I laugh hard! My laughter is not pretty either. I don’t titter, or gently cover my mouth. My hands are busy waving in the air or clutching my ribs. At times the wave of my hands is a flag of apology especially when the waves of laughter are incessant. Your ears will be assaulted. You either join in or join in! It’s that infectious. I don't laugh at people, we laugh together. I sometimes slap my thigh hard, or snort, or do both simultaneously. My eyes crinkle, my nose stretches, half the time I am trying to catch my breath. When another surge comes in, I just fall down on the floor. It’s too much. My body convulses. Now picture all that with a dental formula that would have Pythagoras walking out the door.

Let’s not talk about my chest. It was flat as a table, a plateau, a blackboard. Please add any other simile that you find suitable. I wore a vest like top, think sports bra that was famously known as a boob top! The irony! What boobs? It got to a point I started praying for them. Boy did I pray. God had placed me on the waiting list.

The only package that seem to come early was ACNE! It still is the bane of my existence.Nowadays, I know how to tackle those little buggers but back then was a whole different story. Acne and fam would show up at the most in opportune moments. They never showed up at on a regular boring day. The gang would show up on a day we had a high school FUNKEE, a function to my non- kenyan readers. I was in an all girls boarding school in Kenya. Funkees were everything. You got to leave the school to go for a function where the members of the opposite sex were present. AHH BOYSS!! We sure did love the boys. Still do but... let's carry on. Some girls would press their skirts, others would press their hair, and I would press the sucker on my forehead. Life!

I always maintained an upbeat persona through it all. Late packages be damned! I realized that being true to myself despite the physical is what matters. I sleeked back my short do, pressed more pimples, and kept on laughing like a seal.

Eventually that adolescent package came through on the last stretch of my third year of high school. The package came with a bang!! No notice left at the post office, no tracking number, nothing. It arrived and made itself known. I woke up and BOOM boobs!! Hello ladies. Now I had to search for a bra! What was that contraption?? I had been praying for Dolly Partons’ and there they were. Shakira was right, hips don’t lie. They tell you the honest truth, like you need new pants and skirts. My molars had slowly started growing causing a tectonic shift. Gaps closed. Toothpicks had a new meaning to my life.

A week ago, on a mildly clear evening, a friend and I were walking through Times Square and passed a group of teenage girls going on about their life doing what teenagers do. She mentioned she feels lucky she did not have to grow up in this post Kardashian, selfie crazed, image obsessed world as a teen. I pondered on that thought and it brought back the memories of my teenage years. What if I was a teenager in this present day? Where images stream through our phones and computers in billions. Ideals so high with the constant pressure to conform. Be! Act! Look like! Why not just be myself?

Here’s the thing I have learnt about Self. Being self-confident is the ability to feel beautiful without someone needing to tell you you are. No validation needed. You are not a parking ticket. Once you accept yourself for who you are, you will not need to burden yourself with opinions of others. As women, we always find ourselves flawed. Oh my thighs are too big, my tummy looks like a pot of yams. My arms are so flabby. Look at my teeth!! Another pimple!!? There is always something. We have someone splashing an idea of what we should look like or try to attain to look like every single day. It’s there when we are checking out at the grocery store, up on a billboard as we are driving or walking by. On our Instagram feeds with insanely cinched waists - trainers, teas that will miraculously make you look like a supermodel, contoured noses, chins, underarms, shoulders, veins! I heard you can now contour your chest, knees and legs and… Ok! This contour business is getting out of hand!

You have someone you love dearly in your life right? Would you talk about them unkindly? Nope! Never! Then let’s be kind to ourselves. Whatever energy you put out there, the universe will internalize it and take it in. You spew negative, that's what you get back. Claim the positive and you are covered in confetti!! Yaassss...That is why I try to be kind to myself. Love myself and be kind to myself. Try because we have those days when you just feel blah! So shaking it off like Taylor is your best bet! I am the only one living in this body. I might as well treat SELF the best way possible.

You are always in control. You don’t like how something looks like? Change it. You want to lose those stubborn 10 pounds? Hit the gym. How you portray yourself to others is a blueprint of how they will perceive you. Silence your inner critic every time she tries to chime in. Her opinion is not welcomed. Embrace who you are. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Believe in self! Be kind to self! Love self! You are gorgeous! You are a Queen! You slay!!!

Lastly, take it all in, self-confidence, self-worth, self-love….. The only self you need to banish is Self - doubt!

Thanks for stopping by.
NAMASLAY - The slay in me recognizes the slay in you!

Hat: HM

Bodysuit: Urban Outfitters

Skirt: HM

Anne Roshie 5/27/16 Anne Roshie 5/27/16

DENIM

This is the kind of dress you go for when you want to be free. Unconstricted. Unbound. The kind of dress that doesn't cling to your body like second skin or squeeze your innards. A dress that is light, colorful, and airy and I think I just described a macaron. Back to the dress. It is a light weight denim fabric which is perfect for any spring or summer day. Memorial weekend is upon us. Meaning tons of barbecues, events, drinking, and socializing. This is the kind of dress you go for when you know you might be stuffing your face more than usual. Like at a barbecue or brunch. It's flowy, loose without hiding your shape, and too damn cute! Must be the ruffles. No one will bat an eye if you go for seconds darling. Memorial weekend also marks the unofficial first day of summer. The Public beaches open up, so do the rooftops, people gather and frolic in parks because after months of hunkering down due to subzero temperatures, nothing beats a day at the park.

HAPPY MEMORIAL WEEKEND FOLKS.... and thanks for stopping by!

Dress: Express

Shoes: Aldo (Fave)

Bag: Forever 21

Anne Roshie 5/24/16 Anne Roshie 5/24/16

SUMMER IS COMING

I have never been much of a TV person. Usually, I am the one person who listens in with a semi- bored look on my face when folks are talking about a new hit show. I got bitten by the bug here and there with Scandal and Empire. For once I couldn't wait to chime in on Cookie, or the no nonsense Olivia Pope. We had watch parties for pete's Sake, with wine and little knick knacks. Well, that bug crawled back into it's hole as the second or third season started. There was a time everyone was raving about a show that had something to do with bike gangs. Then there was Breaking Bad. I was urged to stick through the extremely first boring season but my brain can't fathom going on to Season 2. I would rather watch grass grow.

The Walking Dead is one of the shows that seem to have captured my attention. The same way anything with Idris Elba has my undivided attention! Luther anyone? That accent? Let me stop before I start wiping the drool of these key boards. I am a season behind with The Walking Dead. Sigh** Nothing new here! Thanks to all these streaming services, I watch shows at my own pace. Gone are the days where you would wait for season dvd's, nowadays, just netflix and chill. With your glass of wine!

On the other hand, I love period pieces. Love them until kingdom come. Perhaps it's the costumes, or the way of life in another era. It might have something to do with the horses, or those freaking titles. Yes my Lord! Pardon me your Grace!

Last week, I happened to stumble upon GAME OF THRONES! Yes, there is a lot of talk about it everywhere! I may have been the only person who wondered what was all the fuss with Jon Snow's death. GASP!!! The bug that had crawled back into it's hole came back out, with this it's family!!! I got bitten. Last week was a major GAME OF THRONES binge watching session. I am so hooked that I can't wait to call my sis Flo talk about it! The pilot episode is aptly called "Winter is coming," and back to present day 2016, we have had quite a long winter. I have a feeling we shall be jumping straight to summer since Spring is MIA.

Everyone is looking forward to summer! Thus when the sun decided to tease us for what's to come, figured it was a great time to bare my shoulders and get them sun-kissed after all, Summer is coming!