Fashion and Style

You, yes you� you might be wondering how you got up from bed this morning or why would you bother putting on a cheery  ringtone  to wake up� if that would make any difference! Here it comes Monday comes and goes and goes and comes. You have put yourself in the position you want, in other words, getting out of bed and heading to job you are in, it was all you, baby. You should either be proud of that or start making a change, if that is what you are aiming for. Let�s go over some key reminders on why we are able to do what we do! Nothing last forever Whether you have the Winter blues or you are just on the end of your rope, remember nothing lasts forever. Whatever is driving you up the wall, it too shall pass. If you are on the flip side and are generally happy, take some time to remember that too. Why? Appreciate it all Yup, this is why. No matter if you are on the rocky side of life or signing constant mash-ups from Glee without a care in the world, appreciate everything...

Another guest post by Ariadna!  Hello there world reader! From what part of the world are you reading this? Let me know babes! Would love to hear the feedback! How are you today? How is that positive vibe going? Try not to run into anything today, either mentally or physically. Go on and get the best hugs you can today.  (or licks, those work too) Remember to keep your eye on the prize, you ARE able to do. Now for all those having parties recently, since the season is about to start� send invites to everyone, you never know who can surprise you.  Be Brave. Now talking about superhero moves on a day like today: A superhero is the one that makes other people smile, is the one that has enough patience to teach, is the one that holds your hand when you need it, is the one that makes sure you get home ok, is the one that achieve their own goals, is the one that is proud of the ones they love, is the one with enough strength to know that it�s better to keep going, is ...

More from Ariadna Arredondo! It feels right!  What are we on about? Curiosity. Be assertive. Be real with yourself. Okay, okay, let�s break it down: Every day  you've  got some extraordinary power to leave a footprint in someone�s walk or to light up someone�s stormy day� Every day  you've  got the choice to make your own surroundings better and  work towards your goal . Now, in order to get to this place,  you've  got to ask yourself. Ask yourself tough questions! For example: 1) Do I do my best at work? 2) Do I set clear goals for myself? 3) Do I challenge myself? 4) Do I always give out the best version of myself? 5) Do I give it my all every day, at whatever I am doing? 6) Do I achieve my goals? These six questions may look simple, be that as it may be, these questions are the ones that make you  think a step further. We all move through a fast-paced lifestyle, all the same, we need reminders to slow down and focus on what we want to...

One more by Ariadna Arredondo! How many times have you wondered about the times you can get lost in a large shopping center or parking lot? Or the woods or in an unknown place? There are so many things that we have built that are bigger than we know. Every place is made by man. Someone one day thought of a building, wrote it down and from then on out it became possible. Insane, right? How one thought can just turn into a whole amusement park for that matter? We create these big buildings, cathedrals, parliaments, palace, bridges, ect� to achieve architectural beauty. Still, throughout any of these buildings, we can get easily lost with all the walls we built up. If we take the wrong turn inside that building, we just might lose track of the way out. We might just see darkness. Just one turn or a few, the life we would see in that building would be different. Guess there is a beauty to that. I really think so. However you have to know how to get out too. Wanna know a similar truth? We a...

Here's a guest post by  Ariadna Arredondo! Thoughts, that�s it. That is what we think all day,all the time. Especially if you are a girl, supposedly. That�s beside my point. My point is that we all think all the time and all the things that we think of often disappear within the hour. I want you to write down important things for you, I want you to actually see the greater side to this method. First of all, organize your thoughts without repeating. Second of all, as you organize your thoughts, the most important things come out in a clear fashion. Third of all, why keep everything in your head? It is always good to write it out, talk it out so we can let go of the bad stuff and reminds us of the good things. We all have phones, we all have a Note button on it, anytime, anyplace, it helps you to become you. Take a look at this, if these people didn�t write these thoughts down, then someone else would have� right? My point is that these words, whatever they may be, are important beca...

Another guest post by my good friend, Aniqah Khalid, of Maisha , about what Ramadhan means to her. This month of fasting for Muslims around the world has just started, and I know that many of us non-Muslims have questions about what this month actually means to them. Enjoy! This is an extremely complex question to answer in a long point form manner. How I can answer this, however, is in a more metaphorical way. Ramadhan is coming home after a long hard day. Coming home, kicking off your shoes, finding solace in familiarity and comfort in its security. Ramadhan is that strong pain killer for when your body aches that you cannot sleep at night, you cannot eat and you simply cannot think. Ramadhan is that small open window in a hot and stuffy room. Ramadhan is that drop of water that can save the thirsty beggar. Ramadhan is what many pay hundreds and thousands of dollars on therapy for. Ramadhan is the light feeling after being forgiven and after forgiving. Ramadhan is fuelling the car af...

Another post by my guest blogger, Ak Brown!  When it comes to the subject of makeup there are so many different opinions.  But before tackling those opinions and maybe "stereotypes" what is the factual purpose and idea behind makeup?  Makeup, whether you want to believe it or not is a true art form.  It is used in a variety of ways including consumer based, television, ads, films, and in many ways of abstract forms of art.  It takes lots of training, schooling, and hours or perfecting this technique in order for anyone to be called a true makeup artist.  More so on the consumer level makeup helps cover up flaws and accentuate our features.  It's a great way to look natural without showing the world a few minor "no nos" we don't want to reveal. Recently however, there has been much debate over whether the utilization of makeup has gone to the extreme, transforming the entire face and possibly "tricking" others into believing in a whole new person th...

Picture by Thomas Brault courtesy of unsplash.com When I was younger, a large part of how I defined myself was by the relationships in my life. I was so-and-so's daughter, so-and-so's sister, so-and-so's friend. That's not to say that I didn't have an identity of my own- I did- but it was nowhere near what it is now. While I was by no means shy, I guess I could call myself reserved. Added to that, living in a "small big" city like Nairobi (the population of the city is well over 3 million, and yet it seems that everyone knows each other), I was stuck with the burden of being the person I had been for the past few years. Many of you who grew up in small communities and went to smaller high schools will understand me when I say that it's difficult to really change yourself when people still see you as the person you used to be. I was fortunate enough in that I got to go to a university where I knew no-one. Not an exaggeration; Sewanee literally had no pe...

Photo credits (left to right): Omar Havana, Getty Images; AP; Narendra Shrestha, EPA; Niranjan Shrestha; ScanPix; Sewa. The devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on the 25th of April, 2015 is still fresh in our minds in its scale and brutality. As news trickled in, we were horrified as we learnt how high the death toll was. Not only did the quake leave thousands dead in its wake; it left even more missing, injured or homeless. Those of us abroad with a personal connection to Nepal felt helpless and frustrated at being thousands of miles away and unable to lend our hands in the rescue and reconstruction efforts. Fortunately, there are several nonprofit organizations that are doing a great job on the ground with disaster relief and reconstruction, and now there's a unique way that you can get involved too, no matter where you are! Not only is participation easy, but you can walk or run and raise funds for Nepal whenever you want, wherever you want, at your own convenience. Read on...

Another guest post from fellow HCBN member,  Ariadna Arredondo! Make your life a wonderful place....  1) Go to bed on time. Okay, we are not saying to have a bedtime, for all that matters, we want you to go to bed at more or less the same time every day. (or almost every day) Just set a routine and unwind before bed, make sure you catch your extra zzz�s. 2) Do one thing you have been putting off since always. Whatever it is, stop procrastinating. Yup, come on, get off your high horse and start to remember those things that you have been meaning to do. Set some time in your schedule to do them. Not in a year�s time, now.  Look now. 3) Feelings. Speak about them. Speak to that certain someone who has been on your mind for a while about that topic you need to vent about. Whether it is to dig deep down or just have a chat about everyday challenges, speak about your feelings. You�ll feel better, stronger and a lot closer to that person who you decided to share them with. 4) Ap...