Almost the last lap! | Festival Friday

Hey all, this post may be a bit rushed,as I am running a bit late today… -__-. But I wanted to make sure you knew what was going on this weekend for sure! It’s going to be quite busy as the Crop Over festival is winding around to the last laps.

Aloha Hoapili, if you’re passing by from today’s Aloha Friday blog hop! Check out the button below if you wanna see the other blogs involved :).

Anyway it’s getting rather late in the day, so let’s cut the preamble and get straight to it!
Friday, 26th July 2013 – Crop Over Folk Concert (Day of National Significance) at the Frank Collymore Hall
Saturday, 27th July 2013 – Junior Kadooment at the National Stadium (more details)
Sunday, 28th July 2013 – Soca Royale (formerly known as Party Monarch) at Bushy Park
Wednesday, 31st July – Crop Over Visual Arts Festal Evening of Interpretation at the Queen’s Park Gallery at Pelican Craft Centre.
Thursday, 1st August 2013 – Emancipation Day walk (Emancipation day) from Emancipation Statue to Independence Square.
Friday, 2nd August 2013 – Bridgetown Market on the Spring Garden Highway
                                         Pic-O-De-Crop Finals at Kensington Oval (more details here)

Sorry about the rush, it’s a busy weekend so far for me. But be sure to enjoy yours!

Crop Over Heats up! | Festival Fridays

Last week I barely catch a glimpse of the Opening Gala’s parade. While I was in town, we went shopping and almost forgot. But I do have some pictures of the bits that I caught, as well as some video (coming a bit later).

Land Ship and Tuk Band performing in the street.

The Barbados Landship is celebrating 150 years of existence this year.

This week things are heating up for Crop Over, more and more events hosted by the NCF and private persons are scheduled. I’m hoping that before the season is out I go to a Pork Lime!

Today is actually a big event, the Sweet Soca Semi Finals, taking place at the Party Stand from 10 pm. I’m not going to be attending this event sadly, but you can see the list of performers here. Early bird tickets are $20 and patrons will pay $30 at the door. This would be a great after-work event to attend because you can lime while enjoying live performances.

Tuk band (a bit blurred)

The sweet sounds of pan also serenaded on-lookers.

Also coming up this weekend is the Junior Monarch Semi-finals, and it’s not to be missed, these kids are definitely holding the future reigns of Calypso in their hands. That’s this Saturday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre at 8 pm.

Cars for the winners!

Anyway, this weekend and next week you can look forward to…
Saturday, 6th July- Junior Monarch Semi-finals at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre
Sunday, 7th July- Official Opening of the Crop Over Visual Arts Festival at the Grande Salle
Monday, 8th July- Visual Arts Exhibition at the Grande Salle (runs from 8th July to 9th August)
Thursday,11th July- Pan Fusion at Illaro Court
All week- Various Calypso/Soca Tents will be open.
Next weekend will be filled with Steel Pan events….here’s a teaser:

If you want to know more about Crop OVER, you can visit the OFFICIAL website.

Disclaimer: I am by no means affiliated with the NCF, I just like Crop Over and think it’s great to share.

Accessorizing with a Scarf! | Fashion

Hey all, today we’re sprucing up or look with a scarf. No we’re not talking about cotton bandanas, but watercolour, bright, flowy summer scarves. ALSO some time back in March I said I wanted to either be a part of a blog hop, or start my own, So I finally took the plunge and joined one :). Yay! This is the Weekly Wednesday Blog Hop by Melissa from This Girl’s Life. Although I’m just a student, I love to follow her blog, she does a lot of lifestyle posts, DIYs, and still a bit of of beauty too!

Here’s 4 ways you can wear scarves this summer.

Classic… Throw it around the Neck

The easiest way to wear a scarf. I sported this look on my trip, you can see the full post here.

Put it n a Bag

I actually have a scarf on my taupe bag and I love how it brightens up the look of my bag. I can also switch up the scarf according to my outfit. For my bag, the scarf tends to go with everything.

Wrap it around your Head

I look like a pirate wearing this style, my head is just way too small to look normal in hats or scarves, but it looks great on others, like my sister and loves with longer hair than mine.

Belt it

Ever had an outfit that looked like it was just missing something? Or your belt just couldn’t add anything to the pants or skirt you were wearing? Well a scarf is a great alternative to a belt! Adding just the right amount of pizazz to a plain outfit.

Staying Hydrated during Summer | Lifestyle

One thing about summer in the Caribbean that is very consistent, hot, humid days. Sometimes it feels like you could fry an egg on the side-walk! Of course, there are rain storms and Hurricanes too, but most days are sunny and the heat can dehydrate like no other. The best way to stay well hydrated is by chugging tons of water daily. Most people say 8 glasses, but I don’t think that’s a one size fits all thing, plus you do get water from various foods. Drinking water can be good for your skin, nails, hair and of course the rest of your body needs the fluids, as the body is about 60% water. Here are 6 easy ways to stay hydrated this summer.

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1. Carry a water bottle! Even if you don’t own one, they can be pretty affordable and save you in the long run because you don’t need to buy water on the go. Keeping a water bottle also allows you to keep track of your fluid intake. I love the Bobbles because they have a filter built right into them, but it’s harder to find these here in Barbados and the usual size is too small for me. I like to tote a 32oz bottle and drink all day. After all the seawater and swimming, you will be needing it.
2. Skip the soft drinks/Soda and Drink Flavoured water or Juice! Some people dislike the bland taste of water, and I did too before. But you can always flavour your water with somethign as simple as a lemon, orange slices, Crystal Light, Mio, Koolaid even, or just buy flavoured water, the Cranwater (cranberry flavoured water) which has become quite popular here. You can also choose you drink for fruit juice, but in doing any of these, I would suggest checking the sugar content because sugar is a culprit of dehydration. Drinking a very sugary juice could be just as bad as drinking a bottle of Coke. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Coke but it can be very dehydrating. 
3. Eat more Fruit (and Vegetables)! Fruits like Watermelons are obviously higher in water content than most but there are tons of other things you can snack on. Apples are approximately 91% water, strawberries, cantaloupes, pineapples and plums are also good to keep you hydrated. Cranberries and grapefruits also have high water content, but neither are favourites of mine. You can also snack on cucumbers, tomatoes and avocados, but remember to do so in moderation as avocados, or pears as we call them here in Barbados can also raise your cholesterol levels. 
   

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4. Raid a Coconut tree for its fruit! Something we have year round here in Barbados are Coconuts! You can drink the juice of the coconut, called coconut water and it’s very good for you. It contains electrolytes, minerals, vitamins and is about 95% water, plus it’s really yummy! My dad brought home some just the other day. I aint gotta tell you that it was good! Overseas, coconut water is sold in tetra-paks or cans, but trust me, it’s nothing straight out of the nut.
5. Avoid too much Salty and Sugary processed food! I know it’s hard, trust me I am in love with White Cheddar Lays and Vanilla Festival Biscuits, don’t even get me started on gummy snacks. But sometimes it’s better to moderate who you consumer these items in the hotter months because you’ll find your body is calling out for water. From chapped lips to flaky dry skin, the effects are no where near pretty. I’m definitely not saying to stop all together, because what’s a beach day without some snacks, but just be mindful and remember to hydrate before, during or afterwards.
6. Avoid too much alcohol! Yes, Cocktails with the girls and drinking at Summer parties and fetes are fun, but it’s amazing how fast you dehydrate after consuming this stuff. Before you know it you’re drunk and there’s a tiger in the bathtub.. ok not really but when you drink it’s like the fluid in your blood just evaporates. Try not to drink too much and remember to rehydrate!

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I hope these tips will help you to enjoy summer that much more. Staying hydrated keeps me more energised and not as sluggish even when the Sun is at it’s hottest. 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

What is Crop Over and the Opening Gala? | Festival Fridays

So if you don’t live in Barbados, you may be wondering what’s the “Crop Over” I keep talking about. Well, it’s a month long festival celebrated in Barbados from about 1st July until 1st week of August. In the past, it was a celebration of the end of the harvesting of crops, hence the name “Crop Over”. You can refer to my previous blog post (from 2011) for more details on how it came about and changed over the years, as well as the top events to look out for.

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This week is the Opening Gala, signalling the official start of the Crop Over season. For the past 2 months, our airways (radio) have been pumping out both new and old calypso and soca music. Along with the number of  Summer fetes and cruises with crop over themes  to warm up the bajan crowd for what’s to come, the “Crop Over fever” as they call it is imminent.

Here’s what you can look forward to this weekend and next week!
Saturday, 29th June- Opening Gala & Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes at Queens Park
Thursday, 4th July- Crop Over Gospel Concert at the Lloyd Erskine Sandifor Centre
Friday, 5th July- Sweet Soca Monarch Semi Finals at the Party Stand
All next week- Various Calypso/Soca Tents will be open.

If you want to know more about Crop OVER, you can visit the OFFICIAL website.

OR, you could watch this video I made 2 years ago when we spotted Rihanna on a music truck, haha. (I’m like really nervous here, so be warned.)

Disclaimer: I am by no means affiliated with the NCF, I just like Crop Over and think it’s great to share.

First Day of Summer…New Friday Series! | Festival Fridays

Today is 21st of June, the Summer Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, also the official start of Summer 2013! Check out Wednesday’s Summer Swimsuits Guide for more summer fun! Yay to summer! (edit: my apologies, I miss counted my posts and thought I had 250, when it’s really 248 published posts, but just a few more days to 250!)

Not my own image

If you’ve been following along this blog for some time, you would be aware that around this time every year, Barbados celebrates Crop Over, our prime festival for the year. I would typically post some features on Crop Over during the festival, but this year I want to tell you a lot more about Barbados’ biggest festival! Enter Festival Fridays, a new section of posts I will hopefully be doing every Friday about the major Crop Over Events coming up that week/weekend and some information on Crop Over.

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Already for this Crop over Season we have had a number of Calvacades (2, and 3) in May, as a warm up for the festival. This was then followed by a Heritage Walk and a Heritage Tour through Bridgetown earlier this month. Junior Monarch calypso tents as well as the Pic o de Crop Calypso tents are slated to open and be judged this upcoming week. The Junior Monarch tent had already opened earlier this week, and judging is to take place very soon for the big Calypso titles up for grabs. I’ll explain those later as this post is bordering being long-winded.
Coming up this week!
21st- 23rd June– Opening night of a number of Pic o de Crop Calypso Tents
Sunday, 23rd June– Junior Calypso Monarch Tent at the Lester Vaughan School
Tuesday 25th June– Start of Judging for Pic o de Crop Calypso tents

I hope you enjoy this new series, it’s not about make up, but our Crop Over festival is a beautiful event that should be shared with you!

Summer Swimsuit Guide 2013 | Fashion

I was reading the June issue of InStyle Magazine a bit earlier this month and I loved the piece they did on Swimwear trends for 2013. This inspired to do a swimwear guide of my own.

Floral prints never seem to go out of style for swimwear, and this year’s no exception. Besides your typical granny florals (small floral prints), larger flowers and even leaves are making a splash this year! I am loving the one-piece swimsuit on the left corner which sports a bright leafy print. 

Cut-outs are also making a statement this year with whole pieces and even bikini bottoms are showcasing risqué slits. Something about cut-outs feels more bold and sexier than just a bikini.  I am not so daring when it comes to baring so much skin, so the black high waisted cut-out bottom in the top right would suit me fine.

Another trend I’ve been noticing was the bold prints and colours. This multicoloured print monokini in the center is just so fun. It has a bit of a retro feel too it too, and that deep V-neck is just so daring! Besides bright colours, pastels are also still floating around from Spring and I must say I’m still in love with pastel coloured swimwear. Sadly, I couldn’t find a picture of one that I loved.

Finally, mixed and matched prints and colours, once something frowned upon is looking more and more tempting to try. Of course, you have to be able to mix the right prints or colours, that could be pretty daunting. For me, I think the turquoise fringe bandeau is nicely paired with the black and white Aztec print bottom. It’s a easy mixed and matched combo. You could be more daring and try mixing polka dots with stripes or florals with other things. I’ve heard the key in that is keeping one colour the same in each print.

What do you think of the swimsuit trends for this summer? Not as many retro-styled bikinis as last year, but bits and pieces of the retro fun. My top favourite trends are the bold colours, pastels and cut-outs.  What are yours?

JewelMint Summer Sale!!!

Hey all! I do not usually do posts on sales though, when I saw this one and couldn’t miss out on alerting you about it.

If any of you have been watching Beauty vloggers on YouTube, you may know about JewelMint. It is a paid subscription service of sorts where you sign up by doing a style quiz, then they create a showroom for you each month with different jewellery items to suit your tastes. The jewellery is designed and styled by Kate Bosworth and Cher Coulter respectively.



Click picture to sign up!



Each month you ger a new showroom and you can shop your showroom, or look at other items across the website. Each item costs $29.99 and that’s inclusive of shipping to continental USA. Sadly, I do not think they ship to the Caribbean, but if you have relatives overseas, this would be a great way to get affordable good-quality jewellery, with some flair. You do not have to buy anything each month if you don’t want to either, which I think is perfect for me, because I just love to browse.

So this month, they’re having this really nice Summer sale where you buy one item and get the next FREE! You heard me right. FREE!!! If there was a time to buy, they’d be no better one than now.

You can sign up or shop, by clicking any of the pictures above (affliate link attached). Or you can simply click HERE to get to the sale!

XOXO

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Affliate links are embedded within.

Nauty Business

Nauty Business by ChrisAmor featuring slimming tops

Hey all, once again I’ve been outfit making haha.
I showed this outfit to Ashley and she asked me if the skirt is fitted. Now if this skirt is anything what I think it to be, it is somewhat fitted but with room to manoeuvre, not exactly a pencil skirt. So that it gives a little flow without being too “woah I have to hold my skirt down all day” and yet still fitted enough not to keep you steamed during the humid summer days.

This is a nautical-inspired business outfit. I chose to tuck this bright red flowy blouse into this gorgeous striped pencil skirt for very put together look. The dark handbag accentuates the skirt while the nude pumps keep this look from being too dark and extend the legs for days! For the business woman who wants to look professional yet chic and cool in the summer, this look is perfect.
I really like the nude platform pumps featured here, Louboutins, I could probably never afford them, but they’re great too look at aren’t they?

What do you think of this outfit? Love it? Leave it? Change those shoes? Would you wear it? Tell me what you think below in the comments!

XOXO

Breezy Summer Day

Breezy Summer Day by ChrisAmor featuring chiffon tops

Hey all, I’m trying out Polyvore, and  putting together a few outfits that I’ve thought up. I think this is quite an easy option to test out looks with out actually buying clothes, or having the hassle of not liking an outfit when it’s finally put together.
This is the first outfit I’ve put together and I’m calling it a Breezy Summer day as it is a very easy and effortless look. I got my inspiration from a few clothing items I stumbled upon while shopping recently. These are the closest things I can find to them. The top is flowy and light-weight for the hot summer, and the patterned shorts is the perfect summer punch. I added peach Espadrilles for a more summery feeling and a wicker basket styled bag to tone down all the colours. Sunglasses are definitely essentials for summer, so I added those as well.

Don’t forget to tell me what you think of this outfit in the comments, what would you change about it? Would you even wear it? Try your hand at creating some outfits too, I’d love to see them!

XOXO