Monday 31 December 2012

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation

Happy Monday lovers!!!
Today is no ordinary Monday, this Monday is the last Monday and the very last day of 2012!

So as this year comes to a close you may be reflecting on the type of year that you’ve had, was it a good year, a bad year or just another year? But whatever type of year it was, strive to make next year an even better one.
Take whatever you loved the most and that bought you joy, happiness and success forth to 2013 and leave behind whatever caused you, distress, heartache, headache and negativity in 2012. Start as you mean to go on because 2013 like any other year day or month is what you make it.


Happy New Year Love Bugs I hope you see the New Year in with style, love, happiness and positivity!

All my love for an amazing 2013 and thereafter.

Love Sara (A little lady with that good 2013 feelin’) xxx

 

Sunday 30 December 2012

Style on Sundays: Styling it D.I.Y

It should come as no secret that I love style and fashion which means that my credit card is constantly being abused.

At the end of every year I go through my paper work aka receipts and bank statements and have this horrific reality shock of how much money I’ve spent throughout the year which is always a lot more than I had literally bargained for and become ashamed and annoyed at the fact that the majority of the hard earned money I have spent was thrown away on clothes that to be perfectly honest I really didn’t need.
So last year as an attempt to keep costs down and to also release my creative streak I decide that I had to try and find a way to stop abusing my bank cards but still be able to fulfil my style wants and needs, so I signed up for a sewing class.
The shame in all of this is that I actually learnt how to use a sewing machine in school but decided after one or two attempts that I was a crap at using it so gave up all hope and besides I thought to myself why do I need to learn how to make clothes when I can just buy them. So some ten odd years later when I learnt about the value of money and also the recession, there I was with my sewing basket rushing to night school after a hard day’s work to re-learn how to wind the bobbin up.
Most people in the class were working from patterns which is a great skill to have, but I am just way too impatient for all of that jazz. I wanted to be able to look at an item and say “Yep I can make that”. So going against what my dress making teacher advised I did just that, but of course I had to start off with a bit of guidance so I took my quest to the World Wide Web and found a skirt that was simple, easy and stylish.
If you are a regular follower of For the Love of Moi you may be familiar with a blog called A pair & A Spare this is my favourite blog for DIY tips guides and inspiration and this is where I found the ‘How to’ for this beautiful Sheer Maxi skirt.
      
Image sourced from A Pair & A Spare

What people were paying 30 odd quid for on the high street cost me a fiver to make and it was soooo easy to do.

 
As New Year ’s Eve is tomorrow which usually means that people are rushing around town to find a last minute outfit to wear to see the New Year in with style, A Pair & A Spare’s Geneva posted a DIY ‘how to’ for this amazing Sequin Maxi Wrap Skirt


Image sourced from A Pair & A Spare 

I love the way Geneva has teamed this lush glam skirt up with a simple white cut off top, it dresses it down a little but gives the outfit a fresh and yet still elegantly modern edge.
I am not doing anything fancy this New Year’s Eve but if I was I would deffo be making this skirt.
As for my sewing and DIY skills for 2013, I aim and I quote ‘aim’ to buy my own little sewing machine and make and modify more clothes to save my self some serious money and to add a bit of individuality to my wardrobe.

Love Sara (A little lady full of optimism). xxx

Monday 17 December 2012

I Luv Live Birmingham

Birmingham can be somewhat of a bitter sweet city for some. Having lived here my whole life bar the odd few months here and there, it’s a city that you can easily grow tired for the simple reason that it’s small, there are no night busses and depending on what you’re into once you’ve been in one crowd you’ve pretty much been in them all.

So when I heard that I Luv Love was coming to Birmingham without a second thought I knew I’d be going but rolled my eyes at the thought of the Birmingham crowd.
Not that I’m trying to slag off my hometown or anything, but again depending on what music you’re into because I can’t speak for all genres, Birmingham can be a hard ass crowd to crack, I don’t know why but we/they just are.
On the night of the event I expected to see so many people that I knew but to my surprise I didn’t. It was a crowd of music lovers who were there for the talent leaving no room for negative vibes.
The talent selection was pure quality and the events team did a fantastic job, everything ran smoothly and with the right amount of everything. Hosted by Capital fm’s Sacha Brooks with DJ Triple SSS on the decks there was no pro-longed waiting around, the tech team were sharp and on point and the venue had a great ambience.  
I arrived just in time to see one of my favourite Brum town Hip Hop artists RTKAL take the stage with Metamore and MadFlow. As always RTKALS performance was full of energy good vibes.

It had been a while since I had seen RTKAL and Meta on stage together, but it was obvious that the magic between them is still there.
Performing his new track ‘My BeatBangs’ RT and his band went in creating and infectious energy throughout the crowd flying the flag for real Birmingham talent.

 
 
 
Next up was Arlissa, on our way into the venue two of my friends were asking who Arlissa was. I innocently said “is she that chick that has the song out with Nas and they laughed, yes they laughed at me and said “No Sara”, so I was like.. ok maybe it’s not her then, but before performing her last track of her set she introduced the song and said “this is a song that I did with Nas, called ‘Hard to LoveSomebody’ (who’s laughing now ladies).


Arlissa’s sound was not what I expected at all, it was quite folky which is really an alternative sound to what this Brum crowd are used to, specifically at those type of events and it seemed that Arlissa had been give the 411 on the Birmingham crowd as she practically asked us to go easy on her, but to her surprise she got a great reception from the crowd, but why wouldn’t she? She has an amazing voice and unique sound and seemed like a total sweetie. Her performance was a great introduction to her sound and I am intrigued to hear more.

As Sacha Brooks likes to call them “Birmingham’s Answer to K-ci and JojoDT and Candy took the stage and reminded me of why I fell in love with them some years back. The Brothers have been singing on and off for a good couple years and have done more than a few rounds on the Birmingham scene. Their voices are BEAUUUUUTIFUL but yet I and so many others can’t help but wonder why they haven’t been snapped up yet? Seriously, they open their mouths and it’s like been thrown back into the 90’s where REAL R&B lived.

Growing up I was a massive Usher fan, yep it was serious, I used to carry a picture of him in my purse and everything… probably because I had nothing else to put in there as I was like 10 or 11 years old. So when DT and Candy performed a cover of Usher’s ‘Superstar’ I was in heaven, these boys really know how to compliment each other vocally.
Although I was a bit sceptical about seeing the boys perform as I’ve been frustrated with them in the past for not excelling, I was glad that I held my spot front and centre and I only hope that this time round this is it for the brothers and they make their mark on the UK music scene.

The line up finale of tshe night was Roxxxan, the cheeky pint sized Grime artist from Birmingham.
                         
Bursting with energy and ready to perform, the slot that had been given to the artist clearly just was not enough as she was ready to go hard all night for her city and her Back Pack Gang. 

Kicking off with 'Too F%@**?!Facety' Roxxxan constantly gave much love, gratitude and respect to B-Town and her fellow artists, giving the intimate crowd a homecoming show and a snippet of exactly why she got singed and is moving on to big things whilst proudly waving the flag for her home town.

 

Before the night came to an end there was the open Mic competition which had some pretty interesting competitors. There was the usual who by now I would’ve thought had realised that singing or rapping is just not their calling in life, but no they’re still on dis ting…….haaarrrrdddd mate! (Too hard if you ask me). But then we were blessed with some fresh faces, familiar faces and talented faces which made standing at the front a lot easier as I didn’t have to endure those awkward moments when you feel embarrassed for the person on stage and have nowhere else to look but at them … on stage.

After a long list of competitors it came down to two, my mate Allysa Rochelle,  Oi Oi!!! and Bee Nice. Us ladies screamed with all our might for Allysa to win but our delicate feminine voices were drowned by the deep masculine chants for Bee Nice that sounded like they came from the base of their souls from the days of Saprtacus. Que pena.  
 

Overall I Luv Live was a great way to spend and Wednesday night and I am definitely looking forward to seeing what the event has to offer next month.

Love Sara (A little lady who really and actually loves Live Music!). Mwah. xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Motivation

They say ‘Happiness is the key to life’ and I couldn’t agree more.

This week’s Monday Motivation is dedicated to everyone who is currently in a lost state of unhappiness fighting to find their way out.
Start fresh this week by doing the things that make you happy, no matter how big or how small. It could be buying yourself a new pair of shoes or booking a holiday to your dream destination.
If there are people or situations in your life that are making you unhappy then cut them off, let them go, because if they are not contributing to your happiness and goals in life then they are only keeping you from them. Sometimes this can mean starting from scratch to build new relationships, businesses, skills, careers and more which is never easy but always worth it.
In this rat race world that we live in we spend so much time trying to keep our heads above the water that we forget about the things that make us smile and all too often it takes something tragic or drastic to remind us of what’s really important.
Never depend on others for your happiness, control and create your own happiness, embrace those who manifest it and let go of those who violate it. After all it if your life and the world is your oyster.
Image sourced from Google

 
Love Sara. xxx

Monday 10 December 2012

Monday Motivation


Good Morning Love Bugs,
I hope you all had a great weekend.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted anything and for that I apologise. So what have I been up to that has kept me away from by beloved readers, well I’ve been decorating my room and for the amount of time that I have spent away from my blog you would think that I’d been decorating a huge master bedroom in a mansion, but no I’ve been decorating the box bedroom of a semi-detached house.

I had it all planned out, I booked the Friday and Monday off work and thought that I would be able to blow through it over 4 days, but boy was I mistaken. By the time the Monday night came I’d barely done the first coat of paint, I was exhausted and my body ached so much from all the physical work that I thought when I looked in the mirror I should’ve seen a 5’1” version of Ciara’s body staring straight back at me but no. Anyway it took me the better part of two weeks to get my room sorted and in back into a living condition due to working full time and doing the job properly, because when it comes to your living conditions I don’t believe in half arsing anything.

To be honest I would’ve rather moved out and decorated a home of my own, but the reality of it all is that that is just not an option for me right now. So what were my options, move out and rent with no certainty of a job past March 2013 or make the most out of the small situation that I am already in? The logic in me as always won.

Living at home and in a box room at that is beyond frustrating especially when all you want is your own space, but instead of dwelling on what I don’t have I chose to make the most out what I do have a make a few changes while I was at it.

People are always saying “Don’t worry, things will change soon enough” but sometimes if you want change you have to be the one to implement yourself. Yes change is inevitable and to some extent everything is written, but sometimes you have to write your own path. You never get anywhere in life but sitting on your arse and singing Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come”. But I bet that if you put in the work while singing your heart out to Mr Cooke, soon enough a change will come. It may not be overnight it may take many long nights and many long days before things really change but you have to start somewhere.

Re decorating my room may seem like a small change but to me it’s a big change, I’ve had to accept that for the time being unless I win the lotto or land a well-paid job which we all know are hard to come by these days, I’m going to have to stay put …for the time being. My Little room may not be much, but due to circumstance and change I decided to make it my own little space where I can think more clearly and make clearer decisions for my future.

So in a nutshell what I am trying to say is be grateful for all the blessing that you have, but if you feel like you are ready for a change in your life no matter how big or small, just go ahead and make it and what will be will be, you never know what can happen until you try.
 

Sitting around and waiting for that change to happen is a terrible way to waste your precious time.  

Have a great week lovers and make a change, even if it’s just the colour of your hair!

Love Sara (A little lady who is ready for a change). xx

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Allysa Rochelle Performing at The Bulls Head 14th December

On Friday 14th December one of my best homies Allysa Rochelle will be doing an awesome gig at The Bulls Head pub in Moseley Village, Birmingham. So if you are a fan of real music, live music and alternative music with a soulful twist then get your cute backsides to the Bulls head for what will be a great night!

I promise, you won’t be disappointed! And I’m not just saying that because she is my best mate, the girl can actually sing!! If you don’t believe me come find out for yourself!


Find out more about Allysa Rochelle on her Facebook page , Twitter, YouTube and Sound Cloud.
See you there maties. xxx